Potters Stand United (repost)
by Fairywm
Summary: Completely AU. A fierce Lily protects her twins from a meddling Headmaster. This time the adults take action. A different WBWL fic. Good Potters. Powerful Harry and twin. Goes through 4th year. Very minor bashing, kind of, sort of, well read A/N in first chapter. Some romance towards the middle, when the boys are older. OC (Gary Potter)/Susan Bones.
1. Dismissing The Headmaster

**Chapter 1 Dismissing the Headmaster**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter that pleasure belongs to J.K. Rowling and all the people she pays to have it make money for her. This will be the disclaimer for the entire fic.**

 _Okay so it was pointed out to me that Satellite Internet wasn't around then, and I know, I was around during that time. I remember dial-up well; you don't have to remind me. I still have nightmares about the noise. I've also brought computers up to modern speed (2015); Internet searches, wed pages and such, so they have a concrete way to showing pure-bloods what Muggles do. I am waving my artistic license and making it a reality. Sorry if that puts you off._

 _Also I've been informed that Sally, my OC, can be taken as a Mary Sue and she can. You have been warned. She also appears in my short story, which I still have to finish, '_ **Replacing One Ghost for Another'** _. Don't worry, the Potters and their friends will fight their own battles and solve most of their problems with logic, but they will be given advice from Sally. If that puts you off then please don't read any further._

 _Also this can be seen as bashing, and since I am making Dumbledore a bit OOC, then yeah, bashing of the Headmaster._

 _One last thing, I am a passive/aggressive person by nature, it shows in my writing. I am attempting to show what a good family and teamwork can do, so most things will turn out for the better. If you don't like it don't read._

 _The prophecy is from the books._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **Sometime in 1980, a quick narration**_

 _ **The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.**_

Although Albus Dumbledore had a pretty good idea who the prophecy might be about, he didn't tell anyone any more than what Voldemort knew. He didn't want them to go against him and raise a child that was powerful without his help. He felt only he would be able to guide a child strong enough to vanquish a Dark Lord.

Lily and James Potter, however, were not stupid. They knew the Leader of the Light had a problem with keeping things close to his vest, and they suspected that there was more to the prophecy than what he was telling them. So they went to the Department of Mysteries and listened to the white globe. The only reason they could is because the person that was the prophecy spoke about was not identified and would not be until the children were born.

Later, they took the Longbottoms and after hearing the mysterious words that might pertain to one of their children they started planning. They spent many nights together collaborating on how to make sure that if their child was the one spoken of they would make sure that that child was raised to know what was in store for them.

Frank and Alice were very concerned, because their child was due around the same time as the Potter twins were, if Lily carried them to term. You never knew with twins. The Potters were a bit hopeful that the boys would be born early, but that would leave the Longbottom child at risk. Still, maybe they could convince the Healer to help both of them deliver early and make the prophesy void.

Frank dissuaded them of that notion right quick. He knew that the Healers would never induce labor unless there was trauma to the unborn child or mother. His mother had tried it when he was overdue. She didn't want to carry him more than nine months. Augusta loved to tell him that story when he was growing up. So that venue was out. They decided to drop that topic until it got closer to delivery date.

 _ **Godric's Hollow, June 1, 1980**_

"Hello, Headmaster, what can I do for you today?" James asked as he opened the door one summer morning. His wife was not feeling well, as one can imagine, since she was due in two months. "I don't think now is a good time for a visit, Lily isn't very chipper this morning," he said as he held the door close to him. He really didn't want the man to come in, since his wife was in a very foul temper. She had already thrown her slippers at him, for not rubbing her feet, which he was just settling down to do when the knock came.

"Ah, James, it is such a beautiful morning that I thought now would be a wonderful time to pay a visit. To the matter at hand, as you know Lily will be giving birth any time now, and I was wondering what your family was planning to do to keep the young ones safe?" the elderly man asked as he gently shouldered his way into the house, ignoring the last part of James' statement.

James sighed and followed him, giving Lily a 'what can I do' shrug. She glared at him and then focused on the Headmaster. Her eyes narrowed at his intrusion and she was not happy that her morning had been interrupted.

Albus ignored her glare and looked around the room. The living room was quaint: only a couch, two chairs and a coffee table littered the medium sized room. They were all done in mute browns and gold. A nice large floral rug was seen peeking out from under the couch and coffee table. Two matching smaller ones were thrown under the chairs. Scenic pictures of the ocean side lined the walls, with the brass, gas light fixtures, that were common in all wizarding households.

Lily was perched on the sofa with her swollen bare feet up on the table in front of her resting on a pillow. Her glare did not lessen as the man made his way into the room.

"How are you today, my dear?" Albus inquired, taking the chair across from her and folding his hands over his beard, making himself appear like a grandfather figure.

"How do you think I'm doing?" Lily snapped rudely, her bright green eyes narrowed in anger. She was still upset that he rudely made his way into the room. If he didn't listen to James that wasn't her problem, he was warned. "I feel and look like I've swallowed a house, my feet are swollen. You interrupted my morning, and James was just about to help me relax. Now I have to wait, no thanks to you."

"You'll have to forgive Lily, Headmaster," James said, joining his wife. He grabbed her ankles and swung her feet around and put them on his lap so he could rub them. "She is not feeling well right now. Perhaps you can come back at a better time, maybe after the boys are born and we get better settled here. Then she might not be so crabby then," he chuckled, earning a dark look from his wife.

"Don't talk about me as if I wasn't here, James. Unless you want to spend the next two months sleeping on the couch," the pregnant woman snarled, pulling back her foot and shoving his leg. He just chuckled again and resumed rubbing her ankle, making her moan in pleasure. "If you keep that up, I promise not to make you sleep on the couch." She gave him a wink then looked back Albus. "We'll be more settled after the boys are born," she conceded with a sigh.

They had just moved to the cottage in Godric's Hollow, because James' family home was still being repaired after a Death Eater attack, just a month before, which had killed his parents. The couple still mourned over their loss. Had it not been for the fact that Lily was to deliver soon, they would be more sorrowful. They had been at the Healers at that time, and were sorry that they couldn't be there for his family. But since Lily was carrying twins the closer she got to her due date the more often she had to go to the hospital.

James wanted his boys to have an ancestral home to grow up in. Since the manor was old, it needed to be repaired carefully. Until that time, they were staying in the cottage, which had been purchased for their honeymoon the year before. The cottage was two stories high and had three bedrooms. They were making the largest bedroom into a nursery for the twins. They would have the babies sleep in the same room, until they were older. Magical twins often remain together so that a bond could grow between them, making them magically stronger.

Right now, James was working with Sirius, Remus and Peter to put up wards on the cottage. However, wards took time to erect, since you can only put up one at a time, and only one per week. That way the ones you cast first would mesh with the new one. So far they had the hardest ones up, barring the Fidelius, since they were targets. That and at least one of their friends would come by daily to check on them.

"Alas, I was hoping that you would have time for me," Dumbledore said with that tone of voice he took when he wanted people to not disappoint him. His eyes twinkled as he looked over his glasses. He sighed and shook his head. "I will try to come again at a later date to discuss what you will be doing to protect your boys from Voldemort. I only want to insure that your families are safe."

"I understand that, Headmaster, I just don't think now it the time. She'll only get worse has the pregnancy progresses," James said as he continued to rub Lily's left foot, ignoring her when she kicked him with her right.

"Quit talking about me. I'm warning you…" she started, only to have him talk over her.

"We're almost there, aren't we Lily-flower?" he cooed, trying to keep her temper at bay. "You're doing so well." He reached up and rubbed her belly. "Do you need anything to help make you more comfortable? You know Alice is due soon too."

"Yeah and?"

"Maybe we can get Frank to bring her by and you two can compare what you are going through and talk about what horrible husbands you have for getting you this way in the first place," he offered. "Will that make you feel better?" he asked in a gentle teasing tone as he watched Lily lower her feet and try and get up from the sofa. Being the good husband that he is, he got up and helped her stand.

"Yes, I think a good session of husband bashing might be just what we need this close to the due date. You should ask him after you see the Headmaster out," Lily said as she gave a glare to the man in question. She then waddled out of the room.

"As you can see, sir, we're not up for talking about depressing things right now. Like I said, you should probably come back after the boys are born. Take heart in knowing that we are putting up as many wards as we think we can get away with here. The last one we're putting up is the Fidelius, I'm not going to tell you who the Secret Keeper is going to be, but Sirius, Remus and Peter are helping. I'll see you when the next Order meeting is called," the messy-haired man said as he guided the old man gently, but firmly, out the door.

"I will endeavor to gain an audience with you when that time comes. Congratulations once again, my dear man. Please, let me know if there is anything I can do for you and your family," Dumbledore said as he let himself be directed away, knowing he would not be able to talk to this couple anymore today. Maybe, he would attend the Longbottoms.

In the end, James did call Frank and asked him to bring his wife over to the cottage in the next day or so. He let him know of the meeting with the headmaster and wanted them over so they could go over their plans. He hoped that between them and each family's Grimoire, they could find something to protect the children. He didn't really trust Dumbledore completely, as the old man was prone to playing with other people's lives. First he wouldn't give them the whole prophesy and now they knew there was a spy in the Order. However, Dumbledore refused to make everyone take a vow stating they hadn't turned nor would they turn to Voldemort. So they had to do their best with what they had.

 **Hphphp**

 _I really dislike_ _ **MOST**_ _of the_ _ **WBWL**_ _stories that make Harry either grows up neglected or with Petunia. I feel that if Lily were the fierce person that she is portrayed as in canon (she died for her son) then there is no way that she would abandon her child. So here is my take on that genre._

 _Edited 5/26/16_


	2. The Prophecy Children Born

**Chapter 2** **The Prophecy Children Born**

 _There is no sixth floor of St. Mungo's, but I need somewhere magical for the kids to be born. I'd like to thank alix33 for going through this for me, but any mistakes are my own. But, hey if you see a mistake or something comes to question feel free to let me know, I'm pretty mellow about stuff like that._

 _Edited on 5/26/2016_

 **Hphphp**

 _ **July 30, 1980 around 10 p.m.**_ **St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, maternity ward sixth floor**

All hopes for the Potter twins or the Longbottom child being born early were dashed as the 30th of July came and they both fell into labor. The single child came first and right now there were mums cooing over the newborn baby boy.

"Oh, Alice," a very pregnant Lily gushed, "he's such a handsome young man. What are you going to name him? I know you two were stuck on a few different ones, which did you decide on?" she asked, her long red hair falling past her shoulders, as she tried to lean over her rather large belly to take a peek at the newborn boy.

"We decided on Neville. His name is Neville Franklin Longbottom," Alice said with pride as she looked fondly at her baby boy. It had been an easy delivery, not like poor Lily who had been here for days now. "How are you, Lily? Are the contractions getting closer?" the new mom asked, holding the newly named Neville up so that Lily could see him better.

Lily could make out wisp of curly white blonde hair, peeking from under the sleeping cap they put on all newborns. "No, they are still far apart," she answered distractedly as she looked at the newborn. "Looking at this little guy makes me happy to know I will bring life into the world. I mean I've known that for nine months, but now…"

"Yeah, it is a miracle," Alice said fondly as she peered at her child, and then she looked at Lily's tired face. "Maybe you should sit down, or better yet take a short walk. Not that I don't want you here, you are Neville's godmother after all, however, you need to move around. Go on, Lily, take a short walk — you need to get the circulation going," she suggested to the other woman, and then glanced at James to support her.

"That sounds like a lovely idea, Alice. Come on, Lily-flower, let's see if we can't get these two to be born soon. A walk will be just the thing the Healer ordered," James said, taking her gently by the elbow and trying to guide her away from the baby. "Come on, sweetie, don't you want to have these two born soon? You know what nurse Stewart said, some walking will do you good." And with that he led her out the door.

"But I want to see my godson, James," Lily complained, trying to get back into the room. "Why do I have to go for a walk? My feet are swollen, shouldn't I be sitting?" she grumped, but reluctantly followed her husband down the hall, knowing what they said was true, but she was tired and wanted to sit.

"Come on, sweetie,you'll feel better. I promise," he coaxed, and with her elbow still gently in his grip he guided her further down the hall and towards the room set up for them.

They had been in the hospital for two days now, waiting for Lily to go into labor. They had been so hopeful that she would deliver early, but now they were hoping to hold off for at least two more days. She was one of the rare mothers who carried her twins to full term. She had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks now, and after being sent home three times, the hospital decided it was close enough to the due date to have them stay here. It wasn't busy this time of year and it was the Potter money was paying for it, so who were they to complain?

The next night Lily went into labor as well. At 11:55 p.m. Harry James Potter was born. At 12:03 a.m. Gary Charles Potter was born. When the nurse put down the time for Gary and both parents were shocked that the time marked on Gary certificate read 11:59 p.m.

"Lily, did you see that?" James whispered to his wife, after the nurse left the new parents alone to bond with their children. "I wonder what that was all about. Do you think it might be fate changing the time like that? Do you think we should tell anyone?" his voice showed his concern. His face took on a firmer look, as if reaching some important decision. "No, I think we should leave it alone," he said with a decisive nod, "that way Albus will not have any reason to pick one over the other. Our boys could be said to be born as the seventh month dies. I don't want any of them singledout."

"You're right. I think we should leave it alone," the new mother said, just as unwavering as her husband. "We'll raise both boys exactly the same. What one gets so does the other. Well, other than what Harry receives when you die, after all he is your heir and all. Although, Sirius said if he doesn't have children, then he wants Gary to be his heir. So that should balance it out. Not that I don't want Sirius to have kids," she said hastily, not wanting bad luck to fall on a friend just so her son gained. "Just that, you know, if he doesn't, then Gary will inherit something too. We'll talk more about that later. For now get your friends and let's celebrate the boys' birth day," Lily demanded as she cuddled her boys close, the feeling of doom was closely approaching and she wanted to love her boys as long and as hard as she could.

James did as he was told and soon brought Sirius and Remus into the room. Peter had yet to show up, something about taking care of his mother. They all loved Peter — he was such a good friend and good son to his mother. So, they forgave him for not being there. "Remus, I'd like you to meet your godson, Harry James Potter. He's the one with the purple band around his wrist," the proud father said, pointing to the child in Lily's right arm.

Remus went to the right side of the bed and looked at the baby. Sirius went to the left side to see his godson.

You couldn't tell the boys apart, they both had dark curly hair and both were looking around the room with bright unfocused green eyes. "Sirius, I'd like you to meet your godson, Gary Charles Potter, the one with the green," James said to the air, since both men were already in awe of the little tykes.

"Wow, look at that will ya," Sirius said, admiring the boys. "They are so tiny." He let his finger be grabbed by the baby. Those tiny fingers wrapped around his larger one and then tugged, making the dark-haired man smile.

"Yes, babies tend to be that way," Remus chuckle.

"Now," James said, clapping his hands together and getting their attention, his voice taking on a serious lilt, "as you know you'll be sharing responsibility with the Longbottoms as Alice will be godmother to both boys." He looked at his boys and puffed out his chest. He made those, and then he looked at Lily who was glaring at him and deflated a bit with a small smirk, she just smiled a very weary smile and nodded.

"Don't worry so much, Prongs, we know that we are to be careful," Remus said, his eyes still glued to the little bundle of miracles.

"Which one is the oldest?" Sirius asked, not really paying attention. If he were then he would have answered his own question, since they decided that the youngest would be his godson.

"Harry was my first born, so he will be my heir," the messy-haired wizard stated with a wave of his hand to the boy on the right. "Gary will still be treated with the same love and attention that Harry will," he offered quickly when his wife _looked_ at him.

As a pure-blood, having an heir was very important, most were very lucky to have one child let alone twins. He only knew of two other set of twins born around this time. It was too bad they had lost the Prewitt twins earlier that year thereby ending that line. They would have had a great time helping raise their sister's twin sons and the other four boys, of course. Molly was a miracle among pure-bloods as she had had six children so far and it didn't look like she was going to stop any time soon.

The tired father sighed and continued, "I just wish we had one more child for Peter to be godfather to, but he said he understood. Maybe our next baby." He was looking forward to having a large family, maybe a girl for the next one, which would suit the shy friend better.

"Look at my godson, Remus. He's better looking than yours," Sirius said as he gazed at Gary, not really meaning it, but wanting to brag anyway. He tugged at his finger and the little guy let go. **"** Look, he has his mother's eyes, let's hope he has her eyesight as well, eh James," he said with a smirk and ribbed his best friend in good humor.

"Sirius, you moron, they look exactly alike. The only way we know the difference is the colored band on their wrist," Lily complained, she wasn't in the mood for his antics right now. The man was never serious, no pun intended. She had been up for hours with Alice and then with her own labor and it seemed like days since she slept. Now all she wanted to do _was_ sleep, which is why she had James bring them in now so they could get it over with.

"Sorry, Lily, I'm just playing around," the dogman said with an unrelenting smirk.

"Remus, if something happens to us, I'm counting on you to keep a leash on this mutt," she said as, pointing to Sirius after she handed Harry to Remus. Then she handed Gary to his godfather and sunk down into the pillows. Now that she knew that the boys were healthy and fed, she really needed to sleep. She only shut her eyes for a minute and out she went.

"Shhh," James whispered to the clucking godfathers as he put a finger to his lips, "it looks like it has all finally caught up with her. Let's take the boys over here and see if we can't get them to sleep as well. I know I'm tired," he said after kissing his wife on the forehead. He led his friends to the nursery part of the room, where there were two rocking chairs and one solid comfortable armchair. "Don't you two look so proud," he said with a grin as he watched his two friends coo and fuss over the boys. "You act like you did all the work in bringing them into the world." He took the armchair since he didn't have a baby to rock. It was comfortable enough to sleep in; he should know he used it for the last few nights.

The two men ignored him as they settled into the rocking chairs and tutted that the boys, who were still looking around and fussing at the loss of their mum's warmth.

"Well, I guess, I'll let you be proud. Remember, what we talked about we don't want the boys spoiled," the tired dad said firmly, gaining the attention of the two distracted godfathers. "We want them to learn how to be responsible. However, if they're so inclined, we can teach them all about the pranking, but I don't want them to be bullies like we were. It was too close a call that night with Snape. He or Remus could've been killed and I don't want them to ever experience that. That was a horrible feeling," he grimaced in remembrance.

"It's okay Prongs, I'll do as Lily says and make sure that we don't spoil these two angels. I'll try and keep Padfoot on a leash," Remus promised with a whisper —ignoring the indignant "Oi,"— as he looked at Harry with tender and calm eyes. He gently rocked in the chair, hoping to put the newborn to sleep. He had never believed that anyone would trust him with their child, yet here he was holding a precious boy not even a day old. "You know, you were in the wrong that day, Sirius. If Snape had been killed or worse, turned, I'd be dead right now, and we'd not be here enjoying this time with our godsons. So I'll make sure that that never happens to them, if I can help it."

"I know," Sirius said, his head dropped in shame as he cuddled his godson to his chest. It had taken years to make him see that teasing Snape into going to the Whomping Willow on the night of a full moon was wrong. "When you asked me to be godfather to your youngest, I was so completely blown away that I wanted to make sure that all my guilt was extinguished. I tried to apologize to Snape, but my owls were returned unanswered," he said, rubbing Gary's back, and vowing to do whatever it took to make sure these boys lived long, happy and healthy lives.

"I know, Padfoot, I trust you to do what's best for Gary," James said with a yawn. He stretched and then settled into the chair more. His eyelids were closing and he struggled to open them and he was fighting sleep. He would take a nap in a minute, but for now he had to talk to his friends.

"You know," Sirius said in a low voice as he calmed the fussy baby, "Grandfather passed away about a month ago and he named me his heir. It was a magical will so my mother can't overturn it. For some reason he didn't want Regulus to be the Lord of the Black family. I think he wanted the Blacks to become the Grey family they once were. I'm not sure; I didn't get a chance to talk to him before he died. I want Gary to be my heir unless I have children of my own. So far that hasn't happened, and I'm not holding my breath that it will. As many women as I've been with, and as careless as I was in my youth, I should've had at least one bastard out there," he concluded, and wouldn't that put his parents' noses out of joint; him naming a bastard as his heir, or even someone not in the immediate family. He grinned at the thought. If there was one thing Sirius loved,it wasmaking his family angry at him.

"I know, Padfoot, we talked about this already and I have no problem with you taking Gary as heir," James said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back onto his chair. "I'll have Harry here as mine. It'll be good that they both have something to look forward to, so they have a secure future. We're going to want to make sure they understand the responsibility that comes with these titles." He was so tired; maybe, he would just take a nap for a little while. The guys would take care of the boys he was sure of it. He trusted them above all else. "I'm going to take a kip, you guys. When the boys go to sleep, there are the cribs over by Lily, or you can continue holding them. If they start crying wake one of us, or you can call the nurse and she'll help you. I hope you've been practicing changing nappies, because you won't get out of that duty."

"Go to sleep, daddy," Sirius teased, seeing how tired his friend was. "We'll take care of the boys. No one will hurt them while we are here. We might just head down the hall and see if Frank and Alice are awake and introduce all the kids together. They'll be growing up together after all; they should meet as soon as possible."

"Ummmhmm, whatever you think is best, Padfoot. Make sure the boys…," James trailed off as he fell asleep, his head lolling back on the chair in what looked to be an uncomfortable position.

"Come on, Moony," Sirius whispered, getting up and cradling his sleeping godson in his arms. "Let's go see the Longbottoms and show off our godsons to them." He gently swayed Gary to make sure he stayed asleep.

"Good idea, Padfoot, let's do that and we should see if we can get in touch with Peter so he doesn't miss all of this joyfulness, I'm sure his mother can do without him for an hour or so," Remus said as he followed Sirius out the door, making sure Harry was secure in his arms.

"Yeah, I didn't know she was so sick. He always seems to be helping her nowadays. He is such a mama's boy. But I guess that makes him a good guy. Tell you what, I'll try and call him after I hand this little guy off to Frank." And with the two friends went to introduce the Potters to the Longbottoms.

 **Hphphp**

 _Just a quick note, I actually got called out for calling Harry's brother Gary. I was told that it was lazy of me to give them rhyming names. Well, being a twin with an un-rhyming name, I have to tell you that I grew up wanting to rhyme with my sister. So he can bite me._

 _Also, the Black timeline of deaths is mixed to fit my timeline. See I have an artistic license, shows blank piece of paper. Well it still works, it's magical._


	3. The Prophecy Begins

**Chapter 3 The Prophecy Begins**

 **I'd like to thank my beta, alix33, for going over this; however, any mistakes are of course my own.**

 _This will be the chapter my Mary Sue OC is introduced; I like her and will not be swayed into changing her._

 _Edited 5/27/16. Doing the editing and a bit of rewriting, I noticed that this chapter is longer than the first two. Hmmm, I wonder if I should start this over and uniform the chapter lengths. I'll think about it._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **October 31, 1981**_

It had been along year and a half. They went under the Fidelius Charm soon after the babies were born. Sirius had been their Keeper until a month ago, but he was being followed and worried that he would be tortured into revealing where they lived, so they asked Peter to take over. He was ecstatic that they chose him.

Now it was Halloween and they had a wonderful day celebrating. The boys were happy that they got candy and the Potters were setting up for the Dinner with the Dead. It was late at night and they were just about to take a nap when they felt the wards fall. The children started crying; knowing something bad was going to happen. The older Potters now knew Peter had betrayed them. Either he was the spy or he was tortured to reveal the Secret. James was going with spy, because no one knew they had switched, so there had been no reason for Voldemort to target Wormtail. It was the way they planned it, so if Voldemort was here than they had been betrayed.

"Lily, he is here. Take the boys and run, I'll try and hold him off," the male Potter yelled over the scared and crying boys. He pulled his wand and stood in front of the stairs, hoping that his wife and children made it to the nursery where they should be able to Portkey out. They had set it up so that the emergency Portkey would go through the wards from a certain spot in the nursery, as long as no one had set up additional wards.

Lily ran up the stairs one child on each hip, just as the front door blew open. She sprinted to the nursery and tried the emergency voice activated Portkey, but it didn't work. Peter must have informed Voldemort of their plans, confirming he was indeed a spy. Damn him. She put the children down in one crib, away from the door, so they would both be behind her when she confronted Voldemort. She would face death before she abandoned her children. She knew if she died protecting them, they would hopefully be safe. It was a sad thought, but one that was necessary for the survival of her babies.

They had set the spell up in the nursery just in case this had happened. Frank and Alice found it in their Family Grimoire. It was a chancy spell, that only had a forty percent chance of working, but if it would save the children, then they would do it. The Longbottoms had the same setup for Neville. Neither family had let anyone know this part of the plan, not even their best friends.

She stood in front of her children and waited wand in hand, she couldn't let the Dark Idiot know she wasn't going to fight. Well, she would to her best to protect her children before she gave up her life, but she held no illusion that she would win. She listened intently, hoping against hope that her husband survived.

 **Hphphp**

James was fighting Voldemort, he knew he wasn't as powerful as this so called Lord, but he'd try and hold him as long as he could to give Lily time to activate either the Portkey or set up the spell. He and Voldemort had been exchanging spells for five minutes now, the living room was marred with scorch marks, and the younger man had been backed half way up the stairs. Cursing Peter for his treachery, he stood his ground. He would die before he would let this mad man kill his family.

Voldemort sent a blasting curse at James and it missed, but it did hit the wall beside him. James tried to get out of the way, but he knocked his head into the railing when he ducked and fell unconscious to the floor. The self-named Lord, not caring whether the man was dead or knocked out, walked right past him—he was here for the children. He had a prophecy to stop. He went up the stairs to where he could hear the toddlers crying.

Lily stood in front of the crib when the evil man entered the room. "Not my children, please take me let my children live," she begged. It was part of the spell you had to ask for your child's life and offer yours instead to activate the spell. It was all about intent.

"Stand aside, you stupid girl, I only want your children. Stand aside." Voldemort motioned for Lily to move aside so he would have a clear shot at the twins.

"No, not my children, I'll do anything, but spare my babies." Of course, Lily didn't move. She would never abandon her kid, though she was shocked that he was giving her the option to move. She had to wonder why, but now was not the time.

"You foolish woman, I would have spared you, Avada Kedavra," yelled the Dark Lord and Lily fell to the floor. "Severus asked that you be spared, more like begged, for your and your husband's life. He said it was so he could get his revenge on your husband, but I knew he was lying. No one lies to the Dark Lord; his screams were well worth it. I was going to let you live and then kill you in front of him. But, you had to interfere and now your whole family will pay the price," Voldemort said to Lily's corpse, as her soul watch with mournful eyes, knowing there was nothing she could do now, but hoping the spell worked.

The Dark Lord then turned to the suddenly silent toddlers. "Which one was to be my downfall, hmmm? Well no matter, I will just kill you both and then I will kill the Longbottom child. Avada Kedavra," he stated, pointing his wand at Harry, since he was closest.

As soon as Lily's body hit the floor large green dome formed, yet in his confidence Voldemort paid no attention to it. It surrounded the boys, protecting them from the worst of the curse and the debris caused by the backlash of the two different strands of magic meeting.

Harry received a lightning bolt wound on right side of his forehead from the diverted curse and Gary received a V shaped one on the left from parts of the crib. The spell had gone through the shield and then, after causing Harry's cut, reflected back and hit Voldemort causing his body to turn to ash, leaving only a robe and a wand.

Both boys passed and the dome dissipated.

A small girl-like figure, who was dressed in a frilly pink dress, with shiny black dress shoes and white knee socks, had watched the whole thing. Her name was Death, or Sally depending on the day, and she knew that without their mom these boys would have a horrible life. She had seen that there would be many trials for the boys and they needed a fierce protector to stand up for them. Not that James was a bad sort, but without his wife to beat down his arrogance, he would be too good of a provider to them and they would grow up spoiled and arrogant and the Wizarding World didn't need that. No, these tots needed their mother.

Sally asked Lily's soul if she was willing to pay a price to keep her boys safe. The dead mum agreed immediately. So the embodiment of Death took Lily's soul and put it back in her body. She then modified her memory to show that Voldemort cast a cutting curse on her abdomen and then Sally cast the curse to make it real. Lily will never have more children, putting her soul back had to have a price.

The little deity then turned to the twins and gently stroked their foreheads. She ran her finger over the wounds and made sure they would both be recorded as cursed. There was no way that she was going to let that old man know who the chosen one was.

"Don't worry, boys," she stated after kissing both foreheads. "I'll be here to help you in this life. Fate dealt you a bad hand and I'm going to teach you all I can to make it better. While there are some things I can't change, this is not one of them. If it had not been for the prophecy, you both would have lived happy lives and never would have faced ole Voldyshorts. So it is okay for me to step in and make sure you die when you are supposed to and not when the prophecy decides. We will stand together until you don't need me anymore and hopefully that will be enough for you to win."

Now one would have to ask, why these boys and not the thousands that suffered all over the world? Well, Sally was only drawn to those who were touched by prophecy and death, or she would help everyone she could. As it was, there were hundreds of children she was helping all over the world. It was good to be a deity. She could be wherever she wanted at the same time.

 **Hphphp**

Downstairs James was groggily getting off the floor. He leveled himself up on the remains of the railing and tried to remember what was going on and why he was on the stairs. It took him a few seconds then he remembered Voldemort attacking. Getting up from the floor, he ran up the stairs to see how his family faired.

"Lily!" he yelled desperately, not hearing any movement in the nursery, "Lily, answer me, please!" He made it to the room and saw that his whole family was lying down as if dead. He hastily ran to Lily since she was covered in blood and waved his wand over her prone body. The diagnostic spell showed she was still alive, so he cast a healing spell on her and tried to stop the bleeding. It took three times before it stopped, so he cast a spell to wake her. "Rennervate," he incanted and with that Lily woke.

"My babies! How are my babies?" she screamed hysterically as she scrambled up off the floor. She quickly turned to the crib. "Please, Please, let the spell have worked, please let my babies be alive," she begged to Gods unknown, as she cast the diagnostic spell on the crib hoping to see both boys alive. "Oh, thank all that is holy, they're alive. Rennervate," she cast on Harry, who then woke crying. Then she cast it on Gary, and he also woke crying.

"Thank Merlin," the exhausted man stated as he came from behind and looked at his family. He noted the robes on the floor, but decided not to point them out just yet. He was tempted to kick them under the crib, but came to the conclusion that they would be better left there for the Aurors. He turned his eyes back to his wife.

"I'm so glad you are safe, James. What happened to you? I heard you fall and feared the worst," she said as she turned and looked at her husband to see if he was wounded. Her eyes roved over his faces and she patted his chest and arms to make sure they were there and unharmed. She had never been so scared in all her life.

"Okay, sweetie, shhh, calm down. I hit my head on the railing trying to avoid a blasting curse," the messy-haired wizard said as he grabbed her hands and kissed the knuckles. Then he reached over and picked up Harry, who was the quietest of the boys. "It's over. Here, I'll take Harry; it won't take long to call St. Mungo's," he offered, trying to keep his own calm. He needed to make sure they were okay, but he didn't want to deal with a hysterical woman on top of everything else. Not that he blamed her, but he had to deal with his own near death experience.

Lily took a deep breath and turned to the crib. She picked up Gary and checked him over. "I am so glad you are okay. Yes, please, take Harry, and see if we can get a healer. Their wounds seemed to have stopped bleeding, but I want them looked at anyway. We won't be able to leave until the Aurors come. I'll bring Gary down in a minute. I need to close that cut, and he needs his nappy changed," she babbled, saddened and happy at the same time, emotions overwhelming her logic. Plus, her desperate need to make sure her family was okay. She turned to hand the crying Harry to her husband.

"Please, come down as soon as you can I want my family where I can see that they are safe," James said, trying to calm his overwhelmed wife, while rocking Harry in his arms.

Lily nodded at her husband's words, took another deep breath and carried Gary to the changing table. Seeing that his wife was calming down, James left the room. He carried Harry on his hip and went downstairs. He put the quiet child down in the playpen they had set up for the boys by the window, so they could see the trick-or-treaters in costume walk by the house. He dragged it closer to the fireplace, threw some Floo powder in and called for St. Mungo's.

"Hello! Anyone there? I need a healer here. We were attacked by You-Know-Who," the desperate father called into the green fire.

"How bad are you all hurt?" was the first question asked when a nurse hurried to the fire.

"We're mostly fine, but my wife was hit with a cutting curse, my children have been hit with an unknown curse. They both have wounds on their heads. Please, send someone as soon as you can. We're at Honeymoon Cottage in Godric's Hollow. The house is under a Fidelius and the healer needs to read that paper before he comes." He handed a piece of parchment that had the address written by Peter through the Floo to the receptionist so they could get past the charm. He then he removed his head, stood, checked on his son, seeing Harry was still fine, he grabbed more Floo powder.

He then called the Auror department. "Hello we have been attacked by You-Know-Who. All the adults were knocked out and we have no idea what happened. You-Know-Who's robe and wand are in the nursery, there is no sign of him. We need someone to come and investigate. We're at Honeymoon Cottage in Godric's Hollow. The house is under a Fidelius and the Aurors need to read that paper before he comes," Again giving them the address written by Peter. He then moved away from the fireplace giving room in case someone came through. He picked up Harry and rocked back and forth to keep him calm. It also settled James' nerves to have one of his sons in his arms, mostly safe.

James heard a noise in the front of the house and held up his wand just as Sirius came running through the broken door, panting. He saw James comforting one of the twins, he couldn't tell them apart yet, and Lily coming down the stairs with the other boy.

"Oh, thank Merlin, you're alright. I was so worried when I couldn't find Peter. He was supposed to meet me tonight and he never showed. I went to is flat and most of his stuff is missing. What happened? Where is You-Know-Who?" the frightened young dark-haired man asked, his wand raised in the air, as if he was going to fight to the death for who he considered his only family, even if they weren't blood related. James had been his brother since he was sixteen when he had run away from home to the Potters.

"We're not sure. We were both knocked out. The boys seem to be fine, but for the wounds on their head. There's a robe and a wand in the nursery, but we don't know what happened," James said, still rocking Harry.

"We're waiting for the Aurors to come and do some testing so we'll know what happened," Lily said in a calming manner as to not alarm the children. It had taken a few minutes of normal motherhood duties to calm her down, but now that she knew her family was all alive, if not well, she was doing better. "I'm hoping that when the Aurors are done you and James, would go rat hunting, the little bastard of a coward. I can't believe we trusted him. I hope he fries in the deepest pits of Hell. If I find him I'm going to cut off his bits and make him eat them." Her bright green eyes lost focus on the revenge she was plotting for the man they all trusted.

"Lily, I never knew you had it in you to hurt someone like that," Sirius said, not noticing the disbelieving look on James' face. Her husband knew just how vicious his wife could be. "Of course, we'll go rat hunting. It will be my extreme pleasure, to hand you that sniveling idiot, just so you can cut his bollocks off. Just don't make me watch, okay?" he said with a vicious, yet thoughtful, gleam in his eyes. Revenge would be sweet.

"That man put my children's lives in danger, if I get my hands on him, he will wish for death. And I'll make it last a very, very long time. You wouldn't believe all the non-magical ways to torture someone. I've read many a novel, which have given me great ideas and if I catch that rat. He'll feel my wrath," Lily bit out through her gritted jaw, clutching her child as close as she could without harming him.

A noise came from the front of the house and all the adults put the children down and pulled their wands. They took a stand in front of the playpen. The children started crying again, now that their parents weren't holding them.

Hagrid came through the front door with tears on his face. All of the Order knew where the Potter hid, just in case something like this happened. He had been told by the Headmaster that Lily and James were dead. This was why he now looked on in shock, at the three adults standing together, wands pointing straight at his head. He could see both boys were also alive, if not completely well.

"Lily, James, I'm so 'appy to see yer alive. Dumbledore told me yeh was dead. I was to take Gary to 'ogwarts and 'arry to your sisters, Lily. Now, 'm not sure what ter do. Why are yeh standing next to that traitor? I would've thought yeh would hexing 'im not standing next to 'im," the confused man said as he scratching his rather bushy beard. While Hagrid was a good man, he was very simple. Give him an order and he would move mountains to see it through. If something negated that order then he took a minute to come up with a different plan.

"Why would Dumbledore think we were dead? How did he even know we were attacked? And why in the name of all that is Holy would he want Harry with Petunia? She hates magic and she hates me. What the hell is he playing at?" Lily fired her questions to the poor half-giant, keeping her wand on him. She loved the man, you couldn't find a gentler soul than Hagrid, but she would be damned if he was taking her children anywhere.

"Sirius was a decoy. We traded with Peter so that Sirius would be the target of the Death Eaters. We let everyone think that he was the Secret Keeper so Peter would be safe. That rat betrayed us and I'm sure he is the spy and not Remus," James looked shamefaced to Sirius. "We're going to have to apologize to Moony for thinking he had gone dark," he told him. Sirius looked mortified and only nodded his head in agreement.

"Dumbledore wanted the children to go to a safe place. 'E wanted me ter collect them and get them ter safety. 'E figured yeh all to be dead. Not sure why 'e thought that. Great man Dumbledore, but now seeing as to 'ow your alive, I'll just be going back to report the good news. 'E can come and see for 'imself that I'm not needin' to take the little 'uns anywhere," the gentle giant said, keeping his hands in the air as to not anger Lily any more than she already was. You could see he was genuinely happy that his friends weren't dead, albeit very confused as to why Dumbledore thought they were.

"Yes, you go and tell Dumbledore that we are alive, and he's not taking my children anywhere," Lily spat as she lowered her wand. She didn't put it away, just lowered it to her side. She knew Hagrid was mostly immune to magic, but she could Accio a knife to her hands and cut him if she had to. The men lowered their wands as well and stayed ready in case they were needed to protect the family.

Just then the fire blazed, causing the wands to come up again, and a healer came through. "I am Healer Wrights. We got a call that you needed a healer. Who needs me the most?" the healer asked, pulling a bag from his robes that contain an emergency kit full of potions. Then he noticed the wands pointed at him and raised his hands.

The adults lowered their wands and Lily took over, "Check the children first, I'm not sure what they were hit with, but they are both wounded on their heads. Then when you are done I need to be checked, James closed the wound, but I don't know how much damage was done. Then James hit his head earlier this evening so you might want to check him as well," she said as she watched Hagrid move towards the door.

"I'll just be goin' then. I'll tell Dumbledore that all is well 'ere. Yer take care now," Hagrid said as he left. "Good to see yer alive an' all," he finished lamely as he walked out the ruins of the door.

The fireplace blared again and a man in red robes came through. "I'm Auror Roberts. We got a report that there was a fight with You-Know-Who. Can anyone tell me what happened?"

"We were sitting down enjoying the night. I felt the wards being attacked so I told Lily to take the boys and go upstairs where we had set up an area for an emergency Portkey to work. You-Know-Who blasted the door in and we fought. I hit my head and passed out," James explained and then waved to Lily to take up the explanation.

"I took the boys to the nursery to try and escape, but the Portkey didn't work. So I put them the crib and activated a spell we had set up to keep them safe. You-Know-Who came in and told me to step aside, not sure why," she said suddenly thoughtful. She shook her head and got back to the explanation, "He then cast a cutting curse," she waved to her cut-up and bloody shirt, "and I think I passed out due to the pain. When James woke me up, the boys were unconscious and there was a robe and wand on the floor. No sign of Voldemort anywhere. I don't know what happened after I was knocked out," Lily finished keeping her wand ready with all these new people in the house.

"Okay, I'll go upstairs and check out the nursery. I would like to know what the healer finds though," Auror Roberts said as he made his way to the stairs, observing where James fell. James and Sirius followed to make sure that James could answer any questions.

Both men came back down the stairs, after being kicked out by the Auror. The healer gave his report after examining everyone. "I don't know which boy was hit. But one of these little guys was hit with a Killing Curse. The residue is on both of them, but other than that they seem in good health. I have the wounds all sealed. Unfortunately they will have curse scars. Other than that they are both in good health," he said, trying to make the frightened young couple feel better with some good news. "The bond between them is growing at a good rate. It is what more than likely kept them alive, this night made it much stronger."

The healer continued as he turned to James, "Mr. Potter, you're fine. That bump on the head didn't do anything but render you unconscious. Mrs. Potter," he said bringing his attention to the only woman in the room, "I cleaned up the area of the cutting curse, however, there was damage to your uterus and you will not be able to have any more children. I'm sorry, I can only hope that you will be happy with the two you have," he said as he put a consolatory hand on Lily's arm.

Lily somehow knew this was going to happen. "It's okay," she said a bit mournful, then looked at her boys and smiled. "I'll just have to spoil these little guys more than I was going to. I'm just glad they're okay. I'd pay any price for the safety of my family. Thank you, Healer Wright. I know you're probably very busy right now. So thank you for coming as soon as you did," she said, as she escorted the healer to the Floo, pleased that her family was safe and alive with no real lasting damage, well except for her uterus, but she could live with that.

"Not a problem, I am just glad everyone here is alive. It is not always the case as you know," The healers said as he was leaving. And with those parting words he Floo'd away.

The Auror was upstairs looking at the remains of Voldemort and trying to find out what had happened after Lily was knocked out. She went upstairs to let him know what the healer had found, hoping that it would help explain things to him. Once that was explained the Auror figured he had a better idea of what happened. "There's a lot of magical residue in here. There's the spell you and your husband set up to protect the children, there's the cutting curse that you were inflicted with and there are signs of the Killing Curse being cast twice. I think the curse missed the twin that was on the left hand side, and hit the one on the right. Do you remember which child was where?"

"Yes. Gary was on the right and Harry was on the left. They both have head wounds that will scar so the healer doesn't know which one was hit," Lily replied. She had a feeling that he was wrong, but she wasn't going to correct him. She and James made a vow that no matter which one the prophecy spoke of the boys would grow up the same. They didn't want one boy targeted over the other so they were going to have to do some damage control to keep the boys out of the spotlight. If it came to the press they were going to have to give a statement that they didn't know which boy had been hit, that it was the Longbottom family spell that kept them alive and that they were just happy that everyone survived.

They, as parents, would do everything they could to prepare their children for what was coming. "Thank you for your time, Auror Roberts, like I told the healer, I know you're really busy at this time. Hopefully, now that Voldemort," she said, ignoring the flinch, "is gone we'll have some peace."

"I hope you're right, Mrs. Potter. I'll see myself out, I'm done here. I took everything that was You-Know-Who's, so the room should be safe. I know if it were me though, I'd be looking for a new place to stay," said Auror Roberts as he shook Lily's hand, turned and then left the room and started down the stairs.

Lily followed him out and agreed with him by stating, "Oh, we'll be moving as soon as possible. I won't tell you where, there are Death Eaters still at large so it will have to be a secret. You can owl us if you need any more information, as long as there is no spells on the parchment or the owl, then it will find us."

"Thanks for that, Mrs. Potter. I'm glad to see your family is okay, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. You did the right things calling for us. You have a pleasant rest of the evening." The Auror tipped his hat and left via the Floo.

After everyone, but Sirius had left, Lily fell to the sofa, hoping that this long evening was over. She was about to suggest to James that they go to a hotel for the night, when there was a loud pop. Lily turned in her seat, wand at the ready. When she saw who it was, she groaned.

Dumbledore was here.


	4. Lily Fights Back

**Chapter 4 Lily Fights Back**

 **Thanks to my beta, alix33, for going over this for me. All mistakes are my own.**

 _Final edit on 5/28/16. So I am going over a chapter a day, but each time I read it the more I change so I have to read it again. Then I get to the point where I can quote the page and I have to say, 'enough'. So if there are still mistakes, then that is where I didn't go back over it again. There is no beta for the rewrites._

 _I've said it before and I'll say it again. I hate writing Dumbledore. Not because I don't think I can pull off his character, but because I have a love/hate relationship with him (and a few others). I think most of the crap he did was bad and that he had too much power, but he was a good man at heart, just very hubristic. I dislike hubristic people, they never change. My uncle is like that and while I love him to death, I hate talking to him at length. So yeah… no matter how I portray Dumbledore, someone, somewhere doesn't like it. This is how I see him, and while you opinion is just as valid as mine, this is my story and so yeah… it is one of the reason for the rewrite, I let public opinion sway my writing. I am working to stop that, but you arguments are still noted, and…_ **if** _I think they are valid I will reword a sentence or two._

 **Hphphp**

Dumbledore came through the broken door. When he was in the room he waved his wand and repaired it, good as new. He then took a chair across from Lily. "Lily, James, I am most joyful to see you are alive and well," he declared with a twinkle in his eyes. "When I learned of the attack, I had feared the worst. I see the boys are also unharmed Can you please, tell me what happened tonight?" he asked as he indicated the boys sleeping in the playpen.

"What brings you here, Dumbledore?" Lily asked as she stood, and then she threw a silencing charm over the sleeping boys. She was glad the healer put them to sleep, they had a long night, and it looked like hers had just gotten longer. She went to the playpen and checked on the boys, letting James and Sirius deal with the man for a moment. She adjusted the blankets and ran her hand through each boy's hair as she smiled down at them. She was just happy they were all alive. When the greetings and offers of tea stopped, she turned around and rephrased her question. "Why do you need to know what happened tonight, Albus?" she asked as she folded her arms in a defensive manner. Her wand once again clutched in her hand.

Lily never understood why the Headmaster thought he had the right to control everyone's life. Even when she was in school, she thought he held far too much power. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that Dumbledore was a good man; there wasn't an evil bone in his body. He was just too far in denial that he wasn't a god. He was very stuck in his ways, and the practices of old, where family treated children like property, were not used this day. It was too bad his mind would not open enough to see that the old ways were wrong. Well he wasn't going to tell her or her family what to do; she'd make damn sure of it. This was too emotional of a night for her to be calm, he had better watch his step or she was going to burn his beard right off his face.

James and Sirius went to her side, more to protect Dumbledore than take up an aggressive front. They were both aware that Lily was on the edge of breaking. They also knew that she might win in a battle with the old man; her anger was just that strong. That and they doubted that Albus would fight a woman. They also knew that it would be political suicide to make him too angry. He just held far too much power.

"I was merely wondering if there was any cause to show which boy is the one spoken of in the prophecy," the Headmaster stated from his seat by the fireplace, as he glanced over his half-moon spectacles with that grandfatherly look on his face, the one that he used when he wanted people to tell him everything. He was sure it was young Gary, by way of the boy being born at just before midnight when the seventh month died, or so he believed.

"You know, Dumbledore, I have a few questions of my own before I answer yours," the very tired and overwhelmed woman snarled at the old man, ignoring the persuasive look. "Why did you send Hagrid here to collect the boys? Why were you going to put Harry with Petunia? How did you even know we were attacked?" she rapidly fired questions at him, wanting to know everything this man had been hiding from them. She felt James rub her back and calmed down a bit. They as a group wandered the back of the couch, none taking a seat. They were still edgy from the near miss this night.

"Alas, I had put a sensor on your house," Dumbledore said, disregarding the affronted looks on the Potters' faces, "so that if dark magic was used I would be notified. I was sure you would not mind. I am your elder after all. My primary concern was to protect your children. When I had been alerted that the Killing Curse had been used, I assumed that you and James were dead. I had Hagrid come to ensure the boys were taken somewhere safe. When he reported to me that you both were still in the land of the living, I was most happy," he said in a gentle voice that made you want to believe that he had only kindness in his heart and that you should not question him. He blatantly ignored the questions about the boys.

Lily wasn't falling for it. "Why would you assume that we were dead? I mean, Voldemort could have knocked us out and killed the boys, which is what happened by the way. Why didn't you come if you knew we were under attack? Why send Hagrid for the kids after the fact, and not come yourself to help? I thought we were valued members of your precious Order?" she questioned, and really she was centimeters from hexing the man and his _benevolent_ ways.

"Alas, I was not in my office when the alarm went off. I feared I was already too late to help your family. You know I have many responsibilities and am not in my office at all times. You and James are very dear to me, you must know that," the old man said sincerely. He did truly care for all his Order members, however, there was the larger picture to look at and some things must be left to fate.

"That does not explain why you would want to split up the twins, knowing there was a bond between them and that that would be detrimental to the boys had you succeeded. It also doesn't explain why you'd put one of my sons with my magic hating sister," she spat, by now all the adults were glaring at the Headmaster.

"Lily, my dear, you must understand the boys must grow up humble," Dumbledore said all-knowingly. "The public will hear about what happened here tonight and one of the boys will be famous. They need a hero figure to see them through these desperate times so they have something to show them that there is hope. I was going to raise Gary to know his place in our world, and let Harry have a simple upbringing. You do not want the other boy to grow up in the shadow of his brother, do you?" he said with a small command in his voice. "That, and I am sure the bond is young enough that neither boy will be harmed if it breaks."

"You, oh Great Leader of the Light, whose only _real_ claim to fame, the fame you want my son not to have, is one fight where you _incarcerated_ one man. You want to make my sons humble, when you yourself are not? By the way, oh Knowledgeable One, if you break a twin bond, even one this new, it could kill them, and then where would you be?" she all but yelled. She knew he had done more than that, but all his other successes paled in comparison to that one fight that ended the last war. She was furious that this man would even try to break the bond.

Dumbledore's face took on an ashen look at that last statement. You could see the gears turning in his head as he adjusted his plans. Perhaps there was a way for the boys to visit one another so that the bond would not break, but remain weak. He just knew that Gary must be taken from Harry, whatever the cost. That boy needed to be as strong as he could be to face what was coming. If he was bonded to closely with his twin then he would not sacrifice himself for the Greater Good.

"Now, Lily…" James tried to say, but was cut off when his wife started again.

Then the fiery red head step around the couch with tightened fists, her knuckles were white around her wand, showing how angry she was, "You mean to tell me, that you want to put one of the boys on a pedestal, but hide the other away so they don't know each other? What kind of fool thinking is that? They're just children. Do you honestly think that I would approve of such a stupid plan?"

"Now, my dear…" Dumbledore tried to explain.

She needed to let off a bit of steam before someone got hurt. Lily moved to the middle of the room and pointed her wand at the fireplace, making fire explode, making a whooshing sound as it flared into the room and then lessened to a roaring flame contained in the hearth. The men jumped at the blazed and then relaxed when it settled. All of them were making calming gestures to the woman whose temper was well known.

As she let the spell fly, she talked right over the men trying to calm her. "And just how would the public know what went on here tonight? We," indicating herself and the two men at her side, "aren't going to tell them. The Healers and the Aurors have to take vows not to talk to the press. So the only other two people who know would be you and Hagrid. I love that man to death, but Hagrid didn't understand what happened here tonight. So that leaves you, and you," she pointed her wand at the Headmaster, "will not be using my boys to give the public an idol. I will fight you every step of the way," she said, her mind already going through everything she could think of to protect the boys from this man's plans.

"Come on, sweetie, calm down," James said as he rubbed her arms, only to have the yanked away. He sighed knowing that she wasn't going to stop until she got her answers. He gave Sirius a look that stated that they should just watch. So the two jokesters took up bodyguard stances near Lily, Sirius even conjured a pair of sunglasses.

Lily looked at them and tried not to laugh. This was no laughing matter, but she was glad they made the attempt to calm the coming storm. She then turned back to the Headmaster and all her anger came forth. Questions were running through her mind and she just wanted to get some information and then get this man out of her house. "Why separate them? What were you going to do with Gary?" she asked she was still very much stuck on this fact, and for the life of her couldn't figure out why the old man wanted to separate the children. There was no way for him to know who survived what. He seemed to have made up his mind ages ago. It was like he had this planned from the moment the twins were born and that fuel her anger even more.

"Gary was going to stay at Hogwarts as he is obviously the one in the prophecy. I had thought as much, and now seeing the mark upon his head, I am surer than ever," the Headmaster said, waving his hand to the playpen signifying the sleeping child with the V visible on the youngest Potters' forehead.

"And?" she asked as her green eyes narrowed.

"I would have raised him to be able to face his destiny when the time comes. You see, I also have a monitor on Voldemort, of sorts, and I know he is not dead, merely disembodied and weakened. Gary must be able to stand up to him," he lied, knowing that he would have raised a martyr. "I would have given him that. As for Harry, well, he is not the prophecy child so he would have been fine with your sister's. She is your blood after all. I was going to set up blood wards to protect him and your sister's family and leave a letter to that affect. I would have brought him back into the community when he received his Hogwarts letter," he said in a conciliatory tone, hoping that this distraught woman would listen to his wise words. _Besides,_ he consoled himself, _a little hardship never hurt anyone._ _My upbringing was harsh and I turned out just fine. No, Petunia's hate of magic would work out just fine. I am sure that she would not take it too far._ His thoughts were broken when Lily argued further.

"So you are playing guessing games with my children's lives? And to you one child is more important than the other. How can you live with yourself, wanting to casually cast aside a child, because he is not important to your eyes?" the very tired and near hysterical woman all but spat at him, ready to burn his bear off.

James broke his stance and once more tried to calm her. He placed his arm around her shoulders, and this time she leaned into him, thankful he was there.

"Now, Lily…" the Headmaster started, making placating gestures with his hands.

"I think you should leave now, and stay away until you can realize that all lives are precious. Until you do, I don't think I want you around my family," Lily demanded as she angrily pointed to the door to make her point. She wanted to hex the old man and the men were not far behind. Only the fact that they didn't want to make an enemy of him stayed their hands.

"Lily, you are going to need my help," Dumbledore begged, needing the overprotective mum to understand that he was only thinking of the entire Wizarding World. "You do not have the knowledge on how to raise a powerful child."

"How dare you," Lily said, once more yanking her way out of James' hold. "You would tell me how to raise my children? You don't even have children of your own. Who do you think you are to tell me how I should conduct my family affairs?"

"Lily, you must understand. When Gary comes into his power, you will not be able to keep your family safe. I, alone, can help you. I am the most powerful wizard in Britain, not to be bragging. It is however, the truth. Please, you must listen to me. The boys need to be separated so that Gary receives the attention he needs to learn." Now he rose from his chair, trying to come off as equal in the eyes of the protective lioness. He glanced at the two men and saw he would get no help from that front.

"NO!" all three adults shouted.

"Please, Harry will only interfere with his training. They could have visits once a year to seal the bond, but it must be the way I planned. You must look at the bigger picture. It is for the Greater Good," the old man pleaded. He knew that Gary was needed, but Harry was not. Dumbledore didn't truly understand twin bonds and felt that if it grew solider then Gary would be stronger and more reliant on his brother. That could not happen if the magical community of Britain was to survive.

"GET! OUT!" the redheaded woman screamed, all but lunging and scratching his eyes out. James and Sirius each grabbed an arm. The wind picked up and her hair flew, her eyes flashed with betrayal and fear. She looked crazed, and ready to kill the man trying to tear apart her family. "You leave my family alone! Get out of my house or I will call the Aurors and have you arrested you for trespassing! Oh, I know it wouldn't stick, but by the time you left the Ministry we'd be gone, and you will never see us again. If you ever want to see this family again, you will leave this house NOW!" Lily yelled right into the Headmaster's face. She would have slapped him if the men weren't dragging her back.

"I will leave; however, I think you are making a terrible mistake. I know that you are tired and short-tempered with the close call you all faced this night. When you have calmed down perhaps we can discuss this again," Albus said as he started for the door.

"I will **never** separate my children. I don't care about your _Greater Good_ ," she bit out at his retreating back. "When you realize that then _maybe_ we'll talk," the enraged woman said, standing firm with the men standing at her side, she shrugged off their grip and they let her arms go.

"We will talk again when nerves are not this frayed. I wish you a good rest of the evening, and once again express my happiness that you all are alive." And with that he left.

Lily fell to the sofa, and started crying. It had been a stressful evening and all she wanted to do is cuddle her family and go to sleep. Her husband sat at her sided and hugged her tightly.

"James, we need somewhere to stay tonight. I think we'll need Sirius and Remus, if you can find him, to stay with us. There are still Death Eaters out there and they'll be wondering what happed to their master. We need to warn the Longbottoms and maybe have them come live with us as well; the more wands the better. How much longer until the manor is complete?" she asked desperately, wanting a safe place for her kids. She wiped her tears, knowing they weren't helping her to think.

"There's a hotel near my flat," Sirius said, removing the sunglasses and rubbing his hands down his face and sitting in the chair that Dumbledore vacated. "We can go there, it is a nice place and not too expensive. I'll try and contact Remus through the mirror. I don't want to be anywhere near the Wizarding World until Auror Roberts makes his report that I'm not guilty of anything," he and James had spoken to the Auror, and they made sure he knew that Peter was the one to sell the Potters out to Voldemort. They also told the Auror about his Animagus form. Though trying to find a rat in England would be hard.

"The manor should be done in a few weeks," James said, taking her hand and rubbing it. "I'm sure we can survive in Muggle London till then. I'll call Frank before we leave and explain what happened tonight and see if they want to stay with us or if they feel they are better off where they are. I agree that the more wands the better. I don't know about you, but I am dead tired," he said, cuddling his wife closely to try and settle her nerves. He could tell she was still twitchy about her confrontation with Dumbledore and what had happened earlier with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

It's a good thing that the Potters were an Ancient and Noble house or Dumbledore would try and take their kids from them for the 'Greater Good', but the Wizengamot would never approve of that. Sometimes the pure-blood politics worked for them.

"Okay, let's get some stuff for us and the kids and we can get going. James, if you would call one of the house elves to pack this cottage and put it in the manor that would be helpful. I don't think we're going to come back here for a while," Lily said sadly as she got up from the sofa and headed up the stairs to get the things they needed for a short stay in the hotel.

The men got up to do what was needed. James went to the Floo to contact Frank, Sirius dug through his pockets to find the two way mirror so he could call Remus. He was headed to the kitchen so James would have privacy. The twins slept on, not knowing what was happening in the waking world. Everyone was just glad it was over and wanted nothing more than to put this night behind them and plan for the future.


	5. A Bad Day in the Alley

**Chapter 5: A Bad Day in the Alley**

 **Thanks to my beta, alix33, for going over this for me. All mistakes left are my own.**

 _This chapter has some little scenes with major time skips._

 _Edited 5/28/16. Not much changed in this chapter._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **August 3, 1982**_

It had been just under a year since that frightening night, and the Potters were now at the manor. The old wards on the house were reset. They had had to put up a mail redirect ward so the owls only went into one room of the house. The house elves were screening the mail after there was one incident where Lily's hands were burned by a cursed letter. They had also set up a vault at Gringotts for everything Gary was receiving. They kept the useful stuff and split it between the twins. They also donated a large portion to Muggle orphanages, anything that could be uncharmed was sent there.

They were enjoying their lunch at the table in the kitchen. The kitchen in the manor was large, yet homey. The appliances were on one side, with counters around them, open shelves above them and a pantry on the side. The pans hung over the stove that created an island between the breakfast nook and the rest of the room. They were sitting at the comfortable table, when Harry held out his hand and demanded a sweet, like any other two year old. "Mummy, want 'isket."

Lily looked at her child and said, "No, Harry, you need to eat your lunch first. If you eat all of it, then mummy will give you a treat."

"No, want 'isket now," Harry said then he made a grabbing motion to the biscuit jar and pulled his arm back like he was pulling it down. The jar came flying towards the boys and narrowly missed hitting Gary on the head. Harry was devastated. He reached for his brother, not really knowing what he had done, all he knew is his sibling was scared and it was his fault. The older twin was inconsolable until they let him hug his twin. Lily took the boys out of their highchairs and put them on the floor so they could reach each other.

She was trying to calm the boys down; she petted their hair, rocked them and hugged them as they desperately held each other. It took twenty minutes of crooning, rocking and petting to ease their worry. The bond causing the emotions to loop back on one another, so if Gary was scared, Harry cried and if Harry was crying then Gary was scared, one of the fallbacks to such a bond in small children.

James looked on with a thoughtful face, after he cleaned up the mess Harry had created. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't know how to explain it to Lily. After everyone was quieter and the boys back in their chairs with a reheated lunch, James ventured the subject. "Lily, I think we need to bind Harry's powers. Not all the way, mind you," he said quickly at her shocked face, "just about fifty percent. There's a binding that will slowly disintegrate as he gets older. If we do this right then when he gets to Hogwarts he will have better control and he will be able to dim his aura so no one will know just how powerful he is. If Dumbledore knows his true strength, then he will never give Harry any peace. We can work with him, do some meditation and try and control the accidental magic. I wouldn't have suggested it, but as you saw that kind of accidental magic could hurt someone or even himself."

"Can you show me the spell in a book? If we are going to do this then I want to know everything about it. I don't want it to harm Harry in anyway," Lily stated as she looked worriedly at her oldest. What had just happened was enough to scare her into considering this and she trusted James, but she didn't like casting unknown spells on her children.

If Harry was this powerful now, how powerful would he be in the future? And if people learn about her oldest child, what lengths would they go to control him? What confused her the most is why Gary wasn't as powerful. She knew that Harry was the one spoken of in the prophecy and wondered if that fate caused the difference in the twins. But didn't the twins share a bond and didn't that mean they would share their magic? She was going to have to research that as well. Maybe, she could talk to Molly Weasley about her twins and get a better understanding.

Molly had had twin brothers and now she had twin sons, so she would know more that Lily did. As a mother Lily was leery about the other mother, because the Weasleys were firm supporters of Dumbledore. And while weren't technically against the headmaster, they were still butting heads with him over separating the twins.

In the end they did wind up binding Harry's magic with the spell James suggested. Lily had done the research and it was recommended for powerful children. The books even gave suggestions on how to teach the child to touch and calm their magic. Lily figured it wouldn't hurt if they all did these meditations and they became part of the Potters' nightly ritual. The parents would take a twin each and while whispering about safe places and touching their magic, they would gently massage the boys to a trance like state, until the boys fell asleep.

 _ **August 30, 1983**_

Lily was deep in research. She had started the research after that fateful Halloween night. She was trying to find out just what was keeping Voldemort here. Dumbledore had said that Voldemort was in wraith form and weakened. This triggered a vague memory of something she had come across in the restricted section at the Hogwarts library, but she couldn't quite remember what it was. So she had James purchase many books from Diagon Alley, but they were proving pretty much useless. The Potter library had also given her no clue.

She was beginning to think she would not find what she needed in the so-called Light books. You would think they had defensive magic to prevent or destroy dark magic, but they mostly had shielding and some spells that incapacitated people. She might just have to go to Knockturn Alley. Or maybe she could ask Remus. She should probably bring Sirius in on this so he could look in the Black library. There were bound to Dark books in there. She just didn't know if Sirius would take it seriously.

After not finding what she needed, Lily gave up and called Sirius on the mirror, "Padfoot."

Sirius' face came on the mirror, "What's up, Lily?"

"Sirius, I need you to look in the Black library to see if you can find why Voldemort is still around. I figured that if any library would have books on immortality it would be one in your family. Is there any way you can get in to your old house, and look for me?"

"Sorry, Lily, as you know my mom hates me and I would rather not confront her at this…" he paused and got a mischievous look in his grey eyes. "On the other hand, I might go and talk to my father because as you know my grandfather didn't approve of her kicking me out. I'll write to him and try and demand that I get access to the library as Heir to the Black family," he said running his hand through is hair. He hated his family; they were the epitome of pure-blood supremacy. But, he really wanted to help if it was for the boys. He would face anything for them, even his family. Plus, the look on that old hag's face when he demanded what was his by right, well that would be the best prank he played in a long time.

"Thanks, Sirius. Sorry, I forgot that your mother was still there," she said looking contrite. "I just want to find a way to keep that bastard away from my kids. The Potter library is a bust and I don't know where else to look. I'm thinking of sending Remus to Knockturn Alley, but I don't want everyone thinking he's turned Dark."

Lily felt bad for bringing up his horrid childhood memories. She knew what a terrible person Sirius' mother was, she needed to get it together or she was going to ask all her friends to do things she shouldn't be asking them to do. She was just so frustrated. She and the boys were pretty much housebound. Even James couldn't go anywhere in the wizarding world without morons coming up to him and hounding her poor husband. Hence, her asking for favors.

"It's okay, Lily. If I can get back into the family manor that will put that old bat's nose out of joint. It'll be a great prank," Sirius laughed it off. "I'll see what I can do. Padfoot out." And the mirror went blank.

Well that was going to put her research behind. But, she was determined she will find a way to help her boys.

 _ **July 31, 1984**_

It was the boys' fourth birthday and this was going to be the first time they stepped into Diagon Alley since that fateful October night. Only James had ventured out and that was only to go to the bank to set up the twins' trust fund and to get a few books for the house. They had put it off, because every time the twins went into Godric's Hollow they were accosted. The only safe place they found was in non-magical London.

Because James had come from a wealthy family the Potter adults didn't need to work. They wanted to, but they were needed at home so they had quit their jobs when they had gone into hiding.

The Longbottoms had also had to put their Auror careers on hold, but unlike the Potters they actually went back to their jobs. They returned to work after the Lestranges and Crouch Jr. had been caught trespassing at the Longbottom estate, and had been found to be Death Eaters. It had been a close call and if James and Sirius had not been there, the Longbottoms might have been badly hurt or dead.

Now there were only a few Death Eaters that were roaming free and they were keeping a low profile. Except Malfoy who had made himself useful, via bribes, to the Minister. James didn't think much of Minister Millicent Bagnold, even after the Aurors report she still tried to have Sirius arrested, he of course dissuaded her of that notion, but she sure liked Malfoy's money.

The press had had a field day and they were calling Gary the Boy-Who-Lived. No matter how many times the Potters wrote the paper telling their side of the story, the public wouldn't listen. They tried to tell them that healer couldn't tell which boy had survived the Killing Curse.

Lily had no idea how the report became public, but she was fighting a losing battle with the press. Somehow the papers had learned that both parents were knocked out before the Killing Curse was fired. The public took the word of the Auror report and Dumbledore's confirmation that it was Gary. The Daily Prophet had even described what the boys looked like and the only difference was the shape and location of their scars.

It had been two and a half years and they were hoping that the fervor had died down so they could shop in peace. Since the mail had tapered off it was a good sign that it had. The first year they were bombarded with mail each day. The daily thank you notes they wrote took hours alone. They had to have the house elves take the letters to the Diagon Alley post office as they didn't have enough owls to reply to everyone. They even tried to explain to the senders their side of the story, still no one believed them. After all Dumbledore's word was law, Lily was really starting to dislike that man.

James wanted to buy training brooms for the boys since they had been pretty much locked in the manor since a few weeks after the attack. The only people they had seen were the Longbottoms, Sirius and Remus and sometimes Dumbledore, who came by to try and change their minds about separating the twins. He, of course, was promptly kicked out. At least they had someone their age to play with and the boys really liked Neville.

Lily was thinking of finding more wizarding children for the twins to play with. Maybe if the other kids saw that Harry and Gary were just little boys who wanted to play, and not some super saviors, then the boys will have an easier time at Hogwarts when they attended. The beginning of a plan started to form in her mind; she'd talk to James tonight about it.

Everyone gathered by the Floo ready to go. "Alright James, you take Harry and I'll follow you with Gary. Let's try and keep a low profile," Lily said, gathering a bag with what she would need to tend to two rambunctious boys.

James picked up Harry and grabbed the Floo powder. He pressed Harry's head to his shoulder and held tight, then he threw the powder in the fire and called "Leaky Cauldron", and in a flash of green they disappeared. Lily picked up Gary and followed.

When they stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron, Lily could tell right away this was going to be a big mistake. She stepped behind James hoping to hide Gary from the crowd.

Then someone spotted Gary's scar and shouted, "Look, it is Gary Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived." The crowd started surging forward and the boys got scared and started crying. Lily tried to get back to the Floo, but it was blocked by the crowd.

"Good to see you, Mr. Potter…"

"Thank you very much, Mr. Potter…"

"Bless you, Mr. Potter…"

The crowd started shouting and trying to get to Gary to shake their hands —like he would know what they were doing, he is only four. Gary and Harry were crying harder and trying to hide in their parents' arms.

Lily handed Gary to James and stepped in front her family to face the crowd. She cast a Sonorus so she could be heard over the shouting. "Back the hell off!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, making her words echo in the tavern. "What is wrong with you people? Can't you see you are scaring the children? Haven't we told you time and again that we don't know which child survived that night? What the hell do we have to do to make you listen to us? And even if it was Gary, why would you crowd him and scare him like that? He is only four years old, he doesn't understand why you are crowding him," she questioned continuing on as loudly as she could. How dare these people frighten her children.

The crowd quieted a little, until a voice from the back said, "The paper said that you were knocked out, and the Auror report stated it was little Gary. Dumbledore confirmed this. If you were knocked out then we have to take what was reported. We only want to show the little guy that we are thankful that he ended the war. With You-Know-Who gone we can now live in peace and it is all thanks to him. I don't understand why you would deny us the chance to thank our savior."

"These are my children," Lily stated firmly, calmer now that the crowd had moved back. "I won't have you scaring them like this. If you feel the need to express your thanks then write a letter to The Daily Prophet editor, and then everyone will know how you feel. We read the paper and we'll welcome your thanks that way. We do not welcome you scaring our children." She canceled the charm and took back Gary and stormed to the entrance of Diagon Alley, pushing her way through the crowd.

James glared at the crowd and followed his steaming wife to the Alley. Hopefully it would be better there, since people would be busy with their shopping. There might be some pointing and whispering, but people tended to leave you alone if you looked busy. They only needed to go to Quality Quidditch to get the brooms. He was not going to let these people spoil the boys' birthday.

They entered the Alley and thankfully they were not crowded. Lily was kind of disappointed that they couldn't spend more time here. There was no way she was waiting around to see if the reports caught wind of them. She had wanted to go to Flourish and Blotts to get more books. She already read most of the books at the manor due to the time they had been hiding there. Sirius had come up empty on any books from the Black family library.

Along with her search on Voldemort's apparent immortality, she was also working on a charm to nullify magic in a designated area. If she could get this charm to work then she could block off a few rooms in the manor and put electricity in there and maybe get a TV and a few computers. It had to be tweaked so that magical people were not affected.

She and James had already discussed this and he thought it was a wonderful idea. But her children were more important than her entertainment and research. She would have to pick up a mail order form on their way out of the Alley.

The Potters had also hoped to take the boys to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for a special treat. Maybe if they came to Alley more often than they would start to be old news and not something to be gawked at. She would have to think about that.

The Potters quickly finished their business and went back to the pub. Thankfully the crowd just whispered and waved, but all the attention still upset the boys. Gary and his mum went first to get him out of the limelight. She was sure that Harry and James would be fine after they left. When they got to the manor, Lily set Gary down after she exited the Floo.

"Mummy, why were those people being loud and pushy? They scared me. Why did they yell at me? Did I do somethink wrong?" Gary asked with moist eyes, those people were frightening. His little friend had already told him why, but he felt that he should ask his mum. She would never lie to him and Harry and she talked so they could understand it easily. Sally had a habit of talking more mature to them and while they appreciated it, sometimes they didn't understand what she was trying to say.

Sally had been hanging around the boys since the night Harry had almost died. She told them what had happened and why people kept sending them mail. It was explained to them that they couldn't tell their parents that she was there, because she wasn't ready to reveal herself, and the boys probably wouldn't be believed, but consoled them by telling them if she ever told them to do bad things, then they were to tell their mummy right away.

The deity also helped them learn to make their toys fly, change color and shape. The ghost of a girl said that they shouldn't let their mummy or daddy know about that either, because their parents wanted them to grow up slowly. But, Sally wanted them to learn all they could so they could help each other when the bad man came back.

James and Harry exited the Floo and Lily waved them off, wanting to explain to her son privately. She would talk to James later. She watched her husband take Harry out of the room and then knelt down to her youngest child thinking about how to tell him in a way he would understand.

"No, sweetie, you did nothing wrong," Lily said, petting down his unruly hair. "You see a few years ago a bad man, named Voldemort, came to our old house. He did some bad things and tried to hurt everyone there. When the bad man tried to hurt you boys, the bad curse hurt him instead. Then the bad man was sent away. The newspaper is telling everyone that you did great magic that day and hurt the bad man. But, honey, you didn't do anything to the bad man. Mummy and Daddy set up a spell to protect you and your brother and that is what hurt the bad man. Mummy has tried to tell everyone that is was an accident, but they won't listen to mummy. So when we went shopping those people want to thank you for what they think you did. Understand?" she said, giving her baby a hug after wiping his tears.

"I tink so, but mummy I don't liked the scary people. Will they hurt me?" Gary asked, hugging his mummy back.

"Mummy will never let those people hurt you. If they ever try; you run away and try to find daddy or someone in robes like your Uncle Frank's. Okay?" she said, holding her son tighter. Damn those people. And damn Dumbledore and the press.

"Okay, Mummy," Gary said as he broke the hug and went to find his brother to make sure that Harry wasn't scared anymore and to make sure that the loud people hadn't hurt him.

The Potters enjoyed the rest of the day. The Longbottoms were there so the kids could celebrate their birthdays together. They switched off every year, one year they would celebrate on the thirtieth and the next year on the thirty-first. The twins got to give Neville his birthday present that they had made all by themselves. Sirius and Remus came by with presents and helped James teach the boys how to ride the training brooms. Frank even got a broom for Neville. Harry almost killed the cat, but pulled up before he hit her. The small gathering lasted until bedtime and Neville was staying the night so they could play with the brooms in the morning.

Sally wished the boys a Happy Birthday as they faded off to sleep.


	6. The Plan Starts

**Chapter 6: The Plan Starts**

 **Thanks to my beta, alix33, for going over this for me. All mistakes are my own.**

 _Snape is OOC in this fic, and he will pretty much be in the background. I would go into a long drawn out reason as to why this is, but really it is fanfiction and a simple canon variance needed for the plot._

 _Also, some might say I am some Weasley bashing. I don't feel I am, this is the way I saw them when I read the books, and since I am not making them OOC then it is not bashing. However, you might think it is, so just note that I don't see them in a good light, as of yet._

 _Edited on 5/29/16 there is no beta for the rewrite._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **July 31, 1985**_

It was the boys' fifth birthday and they were throwing their first semi-public birthday party. They had celebrated their birthdays with Neville the day before with just the two families. They wanted to throw a party with a few kids the kids' age. So they invited the Weasleys, the Abbots and the Bones to come over for a few hours. Everyone that was invited was told that it was a party for Neville as well.

The Potters were going to try and brave Diagon Alley again, to get the supplies they needed for the party. The few times they had gone since the twin's last birthday those trips were better. They had been slightly crowded, but people were learning after a few well-placed hexes by Lily. Now they simply called out their thanks and such, but the attention it still frightened the boys. Hopefully, they would soon be able to walk in public with only a few people annoying them.

"Okay, I know the last time we went to the Alley was still a bit scary for you boys, but you were very brave so I think we'll try again," Lily said that morning as she straightened hair and tugged on shirts. "I want you to remember that Mummy and Daddy are with you and we won't let anyone harm you. If you get separated; you find an Auror or go to the nearest store and tell the shopkeeper. Don't go wandering around Diagon Alley, stay where you are until we come and get you. Okay?" she said to the boys, again. It was something she had repeated many times in the last few days. However, she knew that kids needed to be reminded of things all the time and her boys were no different.

"Okay, Mummy, we will 'member," the twins said together. They looked at each other and snickered. They had no idea why the spoke the same words at the same time, but it was fun. Lily and James shared a look and smiled. That twin bond was coming along nicely.

They went through the same procedure they always did and soon were on their way. When they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, there were only a few people drinking and eating, and they only pointed and whispered. Most of them remembered Lily's temper from the last couple of times and didn't want to make her angry again. There were a few that crossed their legs, just in case she thought they were looking too hard at her children.

Lily just smiled politely and said, "Thank you for letting us pass unmolested. The boys are grateful for you letter to the paper. They want you to know that for their birthday, if you are inclined to give a present that they would prefer that you donate to St. Mungo's. Thank you again and good day." And with that she moved to the alley in the back.

"Mummy, why are some of those men scared of you?" Harry asked innocently.

"They are not scared, they are worried that I will cast a stinging hex on them," she said with a small smirk. James causally put his robe in front of his manhood.

"Oh, okay," the older twin stated.

"You'll understand when you get old," James said as he mussed up Harry's hair.

"Let's go shopping," Lily sighed, and smacked at James' hand. She worked so hard at making the boys' hair presentable.

The Potters had only made it a few feet into the Alley when the bane of their existence was suddenly in front them — reporters. They converged on the family like a pack of vultures on a dead rabbit.

"Mr. Potter, how does it feel…?"

"Mrs. Potter, do you remember…?"

"Mr. Potter, today is your birthday what…?"

They all started shouting questions at the same time. Lily huffed and grabbed up her children and stomped back to the Leaky Cauldron. She wasn't giving those scavengers anything to work with. She was done trying to explain things to them, they never listened. She would hex them, but that way laid lawsuits. For now it was better to flee and fight another day, when the boys were fifty or so. She rushed to the Floo and made it back to the manor in no time. It took a while to calm down the twins though.

While she was working on that, James stayed behind to get the supplies they needed. It was a good thing the press wasn't really interested in the parents. He had to answer the same questions they always asked of him. 'Do you remember that night?' or, 'What is Gary like?' and 'Is Harry jealous?' To which he normally answered 'no comment,' and move on. He used to answer all of their questions, but they wouldn't listen and printed what they wanted, so why bother.

The birthday party went off without a hitch; they put the day behind them and moved on to the night. The kids all had a great time with the non-magical games and party favors. The presents the three boys got were simple toys that most children their age had, though the sweaters from Mrs. Weasley were quite warm and comfy and a bit large so they would fit for the coming winter and perhaps the next one. The kids had a huge chocolate cake and rippled strawberry ice cream. They played broom tag in the back yard with kiddy brooms rented for the day. All but Ginny, her mum thought she was too little to play. She cried and threw a fit, until her dad said she could join the boys. The festivities lasted until dark and everyone went home happy and full.

 _ **August 4, 1985**_

Summer was coming to an end and the boys were enrolled in a non-magical primary school that was close to the manor. The Potter parents felt that they would learn better among their peers, and they might make some friends. James had taken his position on the Wizengamot and was trying to get as many kids as he could to join the same school the boys would be attending. He remembered growing up all alone. He had had no idea how other than a few families worked. He was raised a pure-blood, without the blood bigotry. He was also homeschooled like many other pure-bloods. If he could get the other parents to remember this as well then maybe his plan might work.

His wife had pointed out that Muggle schools only accepted students that lived within the area that the schools were located. He figured that they could magic up some paperwork and put a mild Confundus Charm on them to make it seem like all the children were within the area then they could bypass this. It wasn't Muggle baiting, since it didn't harm the Muggles, just confused them as to what was on the paper then they would fill in the blanks in on their own. He needed to work fast as the deadline for enrollment was coming up soon. So far he only had a few families interested, but while he didn't want to do it, he would play the Boy-Who-Lived card to sway people to listen to his plan.

What the senior Potter was trying to accomplish, was to get as many of the kids in the same school as the boys so they would all be friends and would share what each other's home was like. He figured the other kids could be invited back to the house to wait for their parents, and have sleepovers. They could also use the time to explorethe Internet and learn about the non-magical world.

Lily had found the charm that nullified magic in a Runes text. The charm had Runes that had to be put on all the surfaces _outside_ the room you wanted to nullify magic in. Then you would cast the charm to charge them. The original purpose of the charm was to create a safe room where spells couldn't reach you. She tweaked the charm so that electricity would work in the nullified rooms. She was disappointed that she wasn't the one to discover it, but happy enough now that they had solar powered electricity, at the manor.

They had sectioned off two large sitting rooms on the bottom floor of the west wing of the manor. The adults had purchased a TV, a VCR, a stereo, and two computers to be shared between the four of them. Lily had satellite hooked up for the TV and Internet. The parents were planning on expanding all of this if their plan to get the kids together worked. Then Lily could teach the children all about the non-magical world.

Oh, they knew there was a different kind of prejudice in that world, but they were going to try and nip the blood bigotry that plagued their world in the bud and it had to start with the children. The Potter adults, with the help of their friends, would also teach the children theoretical magic and meditation while they waited for their guardians to come and get them. They had made a good start with the party they had thrown a few days ago.

So far, the eldest Potter had convinced the Weasleys, the Abbots and the Bones when he had invited them over for the twins' and Neville's birthday. When they had shown the Weasley father the computer, the man was in heaven. His obsession with all things Muggle had made it easy to sway him. Lily had shown him how to look things up on the Internet that would help him in his job for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, which he was the head of. She also let him know that there were computers in most Muggle libraries and they were free to use. Since that day the Weasleys had been constant visitors. The Potter twins were overjoyed to finally have more friends, though they seemed a little leery of the two youngest.

Ron, the youngest boy, didn't want to learn with them, he was kinda lazy, and all he really wanted to talk about was Quidditch, play and eat. Maybe, when he attended school and learned about non-magical sports that might change. Ginny, the youngest child and only girl, seemed to have a crush on Gary, and would blush and hide whenever he said anything to her. Still, they had convinced Arthur and Molly to enroll the three youngest boys in primary school. Ginny would start next year.

James did feel better that young Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones only treated the boys like any other kids they would play with. Hannah's parents and Susan's aunt were excited about the school and said they would talk to other parents about the great opportunity to educate the children.

It was a start.

 _ **August 20, 1985**_

Harry was conflicted, he remembered when Voldemort had tried to kill him and had hurt his mummy. Sally told him that she had made his mummy all better after that evil man had injured her. He remembered what that man had said about the other man, Sev'rus, who wanted to save his mummy and daddy. What was confusing him was he didn't know who Sev'rus was, or whether he should tell his mummy what he remembered. He talked it over with his brother and Sally, and they said that he should talk to his mummy in case he was a good man.

"Mummy, who is Sev'rus? And can I have a glass of water?" Harry asked as he walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. He saw her there and just blurted out the question.

Lily was shocked enough that she almost dropped the glass she was holding. As it was, she had to put it down so she didn't drop it. She then turned to her son and asked, "Honey, where did you hear that name?" She picked him up and sat him on the counter so they would be eye level. She made sure to keep her hands on his arms, since children were wont to move around on high places. She didn't want him to fall.

"I 'member when the bad man hurt you. I 'member he was saying that a man named Sev'rus begged him to not hurt you or Daddy. The bad man said that Sev'rus wanted 'evenge. But he said he knew that Sev'rus was lying and he hurt him and was going to make him watch while he killed you and Daddy. I think Sev'rus might be a good man. So I wanted to know who he is," Harry explained, keeping eye contact with his mummy.

"Severus was a friend of mine in school. We knew each other before we went to Hogwarts. He was the one who told me I was a witch. We were great friends, until we had a little fight and stopped talking to each other. Severus thought the bad man was a good man, so he stayed with the bad man and did what the bad man told him to do, which was not nice things. We knew the bad man was bad, so we don't talk to Severus anymore because he listened to that man," Lily explained as best she could, rubbing her hands up and down his arms in a calming motion, not knowing if this memory was upsetting her child, like it was her.

"Mummy, I think you should write Sev'rus a letter and axe him if he still thinks the bad man is a good man. I think if Sev'rus begged the bad man not to hurt you or Daddy then he still likested you. You should write him and axe him," Harry said with an understanding far older than a five year old should have.

"Okay, sweetie, Mummy will write Severus and ask him. I'm sorry you remember that night," Lily said giving Harry a big hug and a kiss on the head. "You may be right and he might not think the bad man is a good man anymore. Why don't you go play with your brother? Or find your daddy and you can go flying. Remember you're not to go flying without your daddy or in the house," she cautioned as she put Harry back on the floor, gave him his water in a plastic tumbler, and watched thoughtfully as he left the kitchen.

She was going to have to talk to James about this. She knew what James thought of Severus, but if he had truly begged for their lives it was the least she could do. After all she had heard that Dumbledore had hired him to be the potions professor and if the boys were going to go to Hogwarts, she didn't want him hating the boys for what had happened when they were in school.

She knew Severus and she knew how he could hold a grudge and just how petty he could be. He was that way when they were younger. She always liked him, even when he was being an arse. She would definitely be talking to James and maybe Sirius and Remus as well. Maybe, if she got them all together they could fight it out and get it all in the open or kill each other, it could go either way. If she did that she would have to take their wands first.

She didn't know what happened in their fifth year, but Severus really started fighting back that year. His anger knew no bounds and he used the darkest curses he could get away with at school. That had been the year he called her a mudblood. She felt kind of bad because he had repeatedly tried to apologize to her and she blew him off. She was so immature back then, but then again they all were, well except Remus. He always seemed more mature then the rest. Probably because of the werewolf in him, it seemed like he was constantly fighting the wolf to stay calm and in control. Now that she thought about it, Severus also seemed very cautious of Remus that year and the following years as well. Perhaps he had found out the poor man's secret.

Lily knew James hated her childhood friend, but she would try to make him understand that a truce with the Potions Master would be best for the boys. They could hate each other all they want, but be civil. Well, Sirius and Remus were coming over to see their godsons today, maybe after the boys went to bed she would sit them all down and talk this out. Either way she was going to write a letter to Sev, thanking him for trying to save their lives and asked why he didn't try to save the boys. His answer would define whether or not he could be trusted.

 _ **September 7, 1985**_

The boys were now attending non-magical primary school. They had managed to convince fifteen families to let their children attend. The children were having a lovely time learning and playing together with all their new friends. After school they would all come back to the manor and play in the entertainment room, mostly watching movies, sometimes Lily would go over magical theory, while they waited for their guardians to come and pick them up.

The other parents and guardians liked this arrangement, because they had a hard time finding someone who would tend their children while they worked. That and with them attending primary school, which was free, they didn't have to pay for tutors. They were overjoyed that their children had so many friends. They, like James, grew up alone with only one or two people their age. With what the Potters were trying to achieve, well it helped everyone in the long run. They saved money and the kids got an education and friends. That and they learned all about non-magicals, which was something that most pure-bloods were woefully undereducated about.

Lily was happy for her twins, she was positive that most of these kids would be sorted into different Houses when they attended Hogwarts. They had even convinced two families that traditionally were sorted into Slytherin. And Lily felt that this was great progress. Now the boys would have friends no matter where they were sorted, and they might break the House barriers.

A house elf popped into the room, "Missy Lily Potter, ma'am, there is being a letter for you," she said and handed Lily the letter. "Taffy is making sure the letter is being free of all curses. Taffy is not wanted Missy Lily to be hurt again." The elf nodded her head to show that she had done her job.

"Thank you, Taffy," Lily said kindly. She looked at the letter, and when she saw it was from Severus she asked, "Will you go and ask James to come here?"

"Taffy will be doing that right away." And with a pop she was gone.

She turned the letter over in her hands a little afraid of what it might say. She wanted James there just in case it was bad news. Or maybe she was worrying about nothing. Her letter to Severus had been heartfelt, and that gave her a little hope. Then again, her old friend might be a bitter man. His life had been hard before, and now he had no friends to rely on. She just hoped that he took this olive branch, and that peace between them could be found.

James came into the room with a confused look on his face. "Taffy said you wanted me and mentioned something about a letter that upset you. Who is the letter from?" he asked as he sat beside her.

"It's from Severus. We've already discussed this, James," she said when he started to sneer. "We need to make sure that the boys won't be mistreated when they take his class. That and I feel bad for the way I treated him the last two years of school." She turned the letter over in her hands once again, and then looked at her husband.

James put a neutral look on his face. He would do this for is family, no matter how much he hated that man. Lily was always blind when it came to her friend. So what if he asked for them to be spared? He didn't ask for the boys' lives. The older Potter felt that the bad blood between the two men may never be sorted, but Lily would always come first in each of their eyes. "Okay, Lily-flower, for you I'll try. Let's see what he has to say," he said aloud, but silently thought that if that man hurt his wife again, then they wouldn't have to worry about him anymore, because James would kill him and he could make it look like an accident. Dumbledore be damned.

Lily opened the letter and quickly scanned through it and sighed in relief. "He's agreed to come and talk. He states that he's willing to hash things out with you boys; however, you will never be forgiven. He states that Dumbledore told him that Voldemort isn't gone, and he has confirmed this with the dark mark. However, since we may have to fight on the same side, he feels we may need to work together. He explained that he knew Voldemort would not spare the boys that night, so he only asked for our lives. He also states that unless the boys are sorted in to Slytherin, he would have to treat them harshly to maintain his cover as a Death Eater. He says if you men can come to an agreement, then the best he could do is ignore the boys, but he can't interfere with the house rivalry," she concluded with a sigh, letting the letter fall to her lap.

James mulled all of this over in his head as he held his wife. She was more precious to him than his rivalry with Snape. He still could't believe that that man was teaching children, but he did understand that Hogwarts was probably the only safe place for him. That and Dumbledore's constant belief that everyone deserves a second chance would make it so that Snivellus had a place to hide. He signed as he hugged his wife close.

Lily, on the other hand, was glad that something could be worked out. She would tell the boys why Sev had to act the way he would. Hopefully, they would understand. She hugged James and sighed again. "I know how hard this is for you. Thank you, for doing this for me," she said as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and then settled back to his side.

James hugged his wife and thought, ' _The things I do for family._ _Damn, now I can't kill the bastard._ _I will have to tell Sirius not to kill or prank him either. If we did that then the first people they would blame would be us and then any truce we make would be broken.'_ He hugged his wife tighter. "Okay, Lily, make the arrangements and I'll tell the guys," he said and kissed her back. He really loved this woman.

He only hoped this would work, every single one of them were hotheadsand each felt the other was right, well expect Remus. Even though Sirius felt bad for almost getting Snape killed, didn't mean he like the man. James hated Snivellus, because he kept trying to keep Lily from him the first five years of school, though it could be said that he had done the same thing.

He always felt that that greasy-haired git was a Dark wizard, even back on the train ride. He could feel it in the boy's dark aura, Sirius felt the same. Yeah, they were young and stupid, and didn't really give the boy a chance, but as the years went by they felt themselves justified. Especially, after Snape joined the Death Eaters. They didn't once even think that the bullying they did in school might be what pushed the man into doing just that.

He sighed and hugged his wife harder. He would do this for his family.


	7. My Son Is Not Evil

**Chapter 7: My Son Is Not Evil**

 _Edited on 5/30/16, this one changed a lot. I made the scene between the men a bit longer, and made the boys less crybabies. I hope you like this new chapter, let me know via reviews. My goal is to get this story on the_ _ **1,000 reviews**_ _community. It is a simple goal, but hey if you can help, you have my thanks. Even if it is to tell me that you have stopped reading for some reason or another._

 _I urge you to take a look at my profile, especially if you are interested in some research I did. It was to let me know what you the readers want if your fanfiction. It might help others so I posted it. That research helped me a lot, and I am sharing it with you, via my profile._

 _Also I have 20+ other stories you can read, mostly oneshots, but quite a few chapter stories. Go take a look and have fun._

 _*_ blah _* is from Harry Potter Wiki._ __

 **Hphphp**

 _ **September 9, 1985 (while the kids were in school)**_

James, Sirius, Remus and Severus had come together for a long day of yelling accusations and apologizing. With the tension that was in the air, Lily was glad she took their wands. The shouting and fist fighting was enough. She had to intervene on many occasions and point out that they were all being stupid, except Remus, and that they needed to work together. She yelled, screamed, hexed, and cajoled until they finally came to a very terse understanding.

The men would have no contact with each other, unless it was necessary for the downfall of Voldemort. Lily made no such promise; she and Severus would start a cautious friendship. It was only cautious because Severus had become quite bitter over the years, not that he wasn't in childhood, but he was more so now. That and he was firmly in Dumbledore's pocket. She was going to try and get him to see that he was his own man and not indebted to the Headmaster. Sure Albus testified that he was a spy, but he should have done it because it was the right thing to do, and not to hold over Snape's head.

Lily now understood where her friend's bitterness came from after finally hearing that Sirius had almost killed Severus by sending him to Remus on the full moon. She was pissed at learning that Dumbledore just sweep it under the rug. It was no wonder that the men in her life were so arrogant when they were teens, except Remus, they could get away with attempted murder. She scolded the two responsible, not the innocent werewolf, and she apologized to Severus for not seeing that something had happened that year. Her husband could be said to be innocent as well, but for the fact that he and Sirius had never once let up on Severus, making as though it was quite okay to lead a man to his death.

James agreed to not prevent or even comment on their friendship, well not to her anyway. What he said to his mates was his business. He knew there were going to be many sessions at the pub when he would bellyache about his wife's friend; there was just too much history for it not to happen. He also knew that Sirius would be on his side.

All of the men agreed that if they had to be in the same room together, they wouldn't antagonize each other. There would be no snide comments or pranks. Oh, they knew that they wouldn't even speak to each other unless they had to, since none of them were known for their control, except Remus.

Severus agreed that he would not demean the boys _too_ much when they attended Hogwarts. However, he couldn't be seen giving them any special attention and would more than likely make snide comments on their brewing skills no matter how good they were. Unless they were sorted into his House. He had to make sure that the Death Eater families thought he was still a spy for Voldemort. He told them how he had kept in contact with some of those families to spread that lie; telling them he had used Dumbledore's policy for second chances to keep himself out of Azkaban.

Snape left the meeting feeling a tad better at getting most of his old emotions out in the open and off his chest. The right hook he threw at Sirius Black helped that immensely, it was something he dreamed of for years. However, he kept his darkest secret to himself, praying they never found out that he was the one who told the Dark Lord the prophecy. It was the only reason he bowed to Lily's pleas for this meeting. If their friendship grew to what it was in their youth, or perhaps stronger, then he would tell her, but right now there was too much going on. If she left him again, then he would not blame her, for he blamed himself. This time he would leave Britain and go abroad, Dumbledore be damned.

Unknown to everyone, even himself, Severus toned down his habit of belittling his students, now he simply snapped at them if they mess up, instead of bemoaning them as morons and dunderheads. His lesson plans even changed, so that more theory was taught. The students noticed, but they weren't going to tell.

Because of his dark mark, the Potions Master would be better equipped than the werewolf for getting things in Knockturn Alley. Plus, that might give him an edge to the Death Eaters thinking he was trying to find a way to get his false master back. So, Lily asked him to get her some more research material and to not tell Dumbledore. If the Headmaster knew she was looking into some of the Dark Arts, to find out why Voldemort was still around, he might go to the Wizengamot and tell them she was a Dark Witch and try and take her children. That was something that she could not afford, with her being muggleborn, well who knew how that would play out.

 _ **December 24, 1985**_

Since it was so close to Christmas and the boys had worked hard in school, Lily and James decided to take the twins, Sirius, Remus and the Longbottoms to the London Zoo. It was a common trip for them, since before the boys turned five they were still mobbed in the magical world. They would use the non-magical world as a means to escape the manor and had a great time exploring London and other sights in England. They made sure to drag their friends along whenever they were off work. Remus, who was always between jobs until they hired him, came with them often. They usually went to theme parks. The look on all the pure-bloods faces the first time was hysterical. Sirius, being the speed junky he is, loved the rides.

This time however they were going to the zoo. Harry had seen the advert that there were new animals housed, including some snakes from Africa, and he and Gary wanted to go. Since it was Christmas Eve, everyone was off work, so they decided today was a good day. As a group they met at the entrance and each got tickets, and made sure they had non-magical money.

The zoo was lit up with fairy lights and there was Christmas music filling the air. The workers were decked out in costumes and the whole place was like a winter wonderland. The kids loved it and the adults thought it was well done. They went to all the shows, had some lunch and picked up many souvenirs for all their friends from school.

"Well, where should we go now?" Lily asked, it was getting close to closing time, which was early given the day, but they had an hour to see one more exhibit.

"I want to go and see the snakes, please. There is supposed to be that one from Africa that is new, I think it's called the Black Spitting Cobra, and it looked cool, please," Harry said almost pleadingly. He had heard the snakes talking on the Internet and they were funny. They complained about everything, and they did it in such a way that made the young boy laugh.

They had learned a month ago that Harry could talk to snakes, but Sally told them not to tell anyone, because they would think that Harry was a bad wizard. She said the reason for that was because the bad man that had hurt them could talk to snakes and he would tell the snakes to hurt people. She made sure to tell the boys that Harry was not a dark wizard, and the people who thought that were stupid. Their invisible friend was also coaching Harry on how to use _parseltongue_ for his magic. It was slightly stronger than Latin and quicker too. The boys felt bad for not telling their parents, but they didn't want them to think that Harry was evil.

Gary was a bit jealous that he couldn't talk to snakes; however, he knew Harry was special, so he let it go and supported his brother in learning this new magic. If the Wizarding World ever found out that Harry could talk to snakes and called him a bad wizard, well… then Gary would yell at them and call them stupid, even if his mummy would punish him for it. He would stand by his brother.

"Okay, sweetie. Is that okay with everyone else?" Lily asked as she looked at everyone to see if they were in agreement. Everyone nodded their heads or gave verbal confirmation. So they headed to the reptile house.

There were snakes and lizards of all kinds in glass displays. When they got into the exhibit Harry started giggling. Gary leaned to his twin and said, "What are they saying, Harry?"

"They're complaining that they're not getting enough to eat, and they're making fun of all the people staring at them," Harry whispered back. He pointed to a snake that was coiled like it was going to strike and said, "See that snake over there? The big green and black one? He just called the fat man in front of him a walking walrus with a mustache." He giggled again and shared a look with his brother, who was trying to hide his laughter. The man did look like a walrus with a mustache, much like the one he'd seen on the telly in that cartoon about the girl who fell through the mirror. That walrus looked just like this man.

"Boys, why are you laughing? Did you see something funny?" Lily asked, looking around to see if there was something going on, when she didn't see anything she sighed. She had a feeling that Harry was a _parselmouth,_ she had hoped she was wrong, but if they were laughing at nothing than it was more than likely that she was correct. She had listened to Harry giggle and whisper to his brother when they were doing a research project for school. It was on the habits of reptiles and when the snakes hissed and Harry chuckled, well… it was an easy conclusion to come to.

She was going to tell her husband, but wanted to do some research first. Maybe she could ask Severus to get some books on it next time he was in Knockturn Alley. She would tell him she was still doing research on Voldemort. This was not information she wanted to get to the Headmaster, and since Sev was still in the man's pocket, she was going to lie. She would use whatever he could find and gather up all the history on _parselmouths_ and present it to the Marauders. That way she would have solid evidence that her son was not evil.

' _Hopefully. Not everyone who could speak to snakes had to be evil. Right?'_ she tried to convince herself.

"I just heard something funny, Mummy," Harry said, breaking her from her thoughts. "Someone said that man over there looked like a walrus," he whispered with a small chuckle, trying to get over the guilt of sorta lying to his mum.

"Okay, sweetie," Lily said, looking at the man and doing a double-take. He looked just like Petunia's husband, only not quite a fat. She was absentmindedly patting her son on the head, and going over her thoughts on how to handle this situation. She would have to talk to Harry in private later to see if he would tell her the truth. "Let's go see the snakes. I think the one you wanted to see it having a show in about five minutes so we better hurry," she said, taking the boys hands and leading the way. "Try not to laugh when someone is making fun of someone else. It is not nice," she reprimanded. She didn't want her boys to think that was proper behavior.

The show was great and Harry giggled the whole time they were there. The cobra was just so funny and he was angry that he was lazy enough to get captured. The threats he made were funny and some were cringe worthy. Though, Harry did take his mum's word to heart and _tried_ not to laugh when the cobra cut down someone, like calling his handler a walking monkey that was too skinny to eat. But the snake was creative in his rude suggestions that it was hard not to laugh.

 **Hphphp**

Later that evening when the men were outside flying in the snow, and the Longbottoms had gone home, Lily took the boys to the entertainment room. She sat them down and looked at them for a minute. "Boys, is there something you want to tell me?" she asked with a stern mum look.

The boys looked a little guilty staring at their feet. They really wanted to tell their mummy.

Sally whispered behind them, "I think she already suspects so it's okay, you can tell her about the snakes, but not about me."

Harry looked at his mummy, afraid she would think he was a bad wizard, but felt guilty that he didn't tell her sooner. He sat close to Gary for comfort and courage. "I can talk to snakes," he whispered as Gary put his arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. The younger twin sent his brother love through the bond to let him know that he was there for him. If his mummy called Harry bad, then Gary was going to yell at her.

"How long have you known you can talk to snakes, sweetie? And why didn't you tell me? I hope you know you can tell me anything," Lily asked gently, not wanting to make Harry anymore afraid than he already was. It broke her heart that he felt he couldn't trust her.

"We knew in November when we were doing that project for school. We were going to tell you, but we had heard Daddy say that it was evil to talk to snakes and we didn't want you to think that Harry was an dark wizard," Gary said as he glared at his mum, just daring her to make a big deal out of it.

"Oh, sweeties, Mummy will never think you are evil wizards. I raised you to be good boys. And even if you ever did go bad… well, I'd still love you. That's what mums are for," Lily said, getting up from the sofa and giving her boys a big hug to make sure they knew she loved them. "I'm going to tell your daddy —later. I don't want you to tell him. Let Mummy make sure he understands. Okay?" she said decisively with a firm nod of her head.

"Okay, Mummy," both boys intoned, just happy that at least one parent was on their side. They were also glad their mum said she would always love them, even if they were bad, which made them feel much better.

"Okay, why don't you boys go and get ready for bed? Santa is coming tonight and you need to be asleep, or he won't leave you presents," Lily said, giving them a gentle push out the room, frantically going over in her mind how she was going to tell James.

"Okay, Mummy. We love you," the boys said, again together, both feeling lighter now that one of their secrets was revealed. They were going to have to talk to Sally about their other secrets. If their mum didn't think Harry was bad, then she would accept that the embodiment of Death was friends with her sons, probably.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth and wash your hands and face. When you are done getting ready come back down and say good night," Lily called to them as they ran up the stairs. "And quit running in the house."

"Okay, Mummy" they said, slowing down, but walking very fast.

"It's kind of creepy when they do that," Lily said to herself as she got off the couch and went to find the men. She shook her head at the fact that they thought it was fun to fly in the snow. But, boys will be boys, even when they are men.

Her thoughts went back the twin-speak. She remembered the talk she had with Molly, when she found out that it was normal for twins talk together. The Weasley mother said they'll start finishing each other's sentences soon. That just showed they had a really strong bond. The other woman told her that the reason one boy had more magic than the other, thinking Lily was talking about Gary, was because magic was more like souls than anything else.

The boys looked alike and sounded alike, but they each had different souls, and magical cores. She pointed out that George and Fred might be pranksters, but it was George that made the plans and Fred that carried them out, and that Fred's magic was just a little stronger than George's. Not by much, but enough that when he stole her wand it worked better for him. Her brothers had been the same way. So it was normal that 'Gary' was more powerful than 'Harry'. She said as they grow older and the bond firmed, then they would share magic and it would make them both powerful, though 'Gary' would always be more powerful than 'Harry'.

Lily decided that she had better write Severus tomorrow and see if he can help with books on _parselmagic_. Since Harry had this skill, she would try and train it as best she could, she didn't know that he already had a trainer. If her friend figures out why she really needs those books, well she hoped he would keep it to himself. Now all she had to do is figure out how to tell James. She took herself outdoors to call the men in so the boys could say goodnight, then let them know she was going to go and research something. She kissed her husband and promised him that if he was good, then she would treat him well that night.

 _ **January 20, 1986**_

Less than a month had passed, but Lily had been very busy. Severus had come through with the books and she spent most of her free time researching. She was very happy with what she found and knew that she would prove that her boy was a good child. With that in mind, she sent the boys to go and play with their friends in the entertainment room when they got home from school.

She then went and gathered her notes from the library; she had as much information that was available. She took a deep breath, now was the time. When she was done getting her things, she asked a house elf to go and get the men, and tell them that she needed them in the sitting room on the east side of the manor. She didn't want to take the chance that Harry and Gary's friends would overhear. She set another house elf to watch them and let her know if any of the kids left the room. She settled on one of the couches and waited. It was about ten minutes later when the men entered the sitting room.

"What's up Lily, you look serious," James said as he sat down next to her taking her hand in his. He knew she was frantic over something, but she would just smile and say she would tell him later when he asked. Now it looked like the time for that secret to be shared was here. He was a bit nervous as to what could make his wife so uncomfortable.

"Oi, she is not me," Sirius exclaimed, sitting on the other sofa next to Remus. Everyone groaned at the old joke, though it did lighten the atmosphere.

"That joke is getting old, Sirius," Remus said, shaking his head as he nudged his friend's shoulder.

"I've something very serious to talk to you all about. I need you to listen to me before you start exploding. I have done a lot of research on this so I know what I'm talking about." Lily straightened her papers, took a very deep breath and looked her husband dead in the eye. He frowned and nodded for her to continue. "Harry is a _parselmouth_ ," she said succinctly.

"My son is not an evil snake-talker," James said as he jerked away from his wife. That caused her to glare at him and take his arm and shake it.

"You will listen to me!" she yelled, giving her husband's arm another shake before dropping it. "You will pay attention to what I have to say, or I will make you sorry you ever said anything bad about my son," she hissed, making them go quiet.

They all dropped their heads, a bit shamed that they would even for a second think that the kind boy they all loved was evil.

Lily gave a nod of her head. "Now I know what you all are thinking. Harry is **not** evil. I think he got this from Voldemort," she said, ignoring the flinches. "I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure that is what happened or Gary would have it too. I've done some research and found that there were many grey and light wizards who could talk to snakes. There are some countries than respect and admire _parselmouths_. The only reason we don't is because of Salazar Slytherin and Voldemort. But I have found some _parselmouths_ in British history that were never dark.

"This one in your Chocolate Frog card collection; *'Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493—1541), more commonly known as Paracelsus, was a secretive alchemist about whom very little is known. He also contributed to the field of medicine, having been a notable physician. Paracelsus's bold theories challenged medieval thought. Paracelsus was credited with the discovery of _parseltongue_.*" She flipped through her notebook, determined to make these guys understand that her son was not evil. So she started her lecture, not once pausing until she was done.

James opened his mouth to stop her. He would take her word for it, but she glared at him, so he sat back and let her go on.

"Then there's, Jordan Tomlinson, who lived in 1658, who helped keep the snakes from his home village. There was a forest that held poisonous snakes and he helped them stay away from the village and also collected their venom for the local potion master. He was considered a Grey wizard.

"And also, Joel Coxhead, who lived in 1759, who was also a collector of venom for potion masters. He made his living doing that and as a traveling healer. He was considered a Light wizard.

"There are many more, I listed them in this research, and you can look them up yourselves. I want you to know I will stand by Harry no matter what. I want all of you to do the same. You need to read the research I've collected before you go off halfcocked. Don't you love Harry as much as I do? Don't you want to protect him from anything that will come his way? He is just a little boy. He is terrified that you will all think he is evil and hurt him. Or worse leave him or take Gary away from him. Do you really want that?" Lily asked sternly. She would make these pure-bloods understand if she had to beat it into their heads.

"Lily can I see the research you've done?" Remus asked, holding out his hand. "I want to be prepared to defend Harry if this somehow reaches the public. They might not listen to me because I'm a werewolf, but if we all have the same facts and stand together then it might work," he said, with some admiration in his voice for the well thought-out lecture. He was firmly on her side from the beginning, and he would do anything to protect his godson. That and the Potters, and Sirius, were the first to accept him as he was. They had hired him to teach the twins, and all their friends, theory magic so he could afford to pay his rent, knowing that he would never accept charity.

Lily handed the papers to her quiet friend, and he and Sirius started to read them over. James reached over and brought his tense wife into a hug. "Lily, why didn't you trust me enough to tell me sooner?" he asked, he could sort of understand, but he wanted hear her reason.

"Oh James, I wanted to, but I've heard what you've said about _parselmouths_ and I didn't want you to shun Harry or think he was evil. You said that snake-talkers were evil, when I first brought it up. Can you imagine what it would have been like if he had been in the room?" she asked with tears in her eyes at that thought. It would have been a nightmare, if Harry and Gary had been there.

That caused the man to flinch; it had been a kneejerk reaction. Now he was sorry he let his mouth get ahead of his brain. "Yeah, I can just imagine," he stated, knowing that it would have deeply impacted his son, in a bad way.

"You didn't see the fear in his eyes when he told me about talking to snakes. He was terrified. I needed to make sure you all understood that the public opinion on _parselmouths_ was wrong," his wife cried, feeling bad that she didn't trust her husband, but her boys came first.

"It's okay, Lily-flower, I mostly understand. I've said some pretty hateful things about _parselmouths_ so I get where you're coming from," James said, hugging her tighter.

"I'm sorry, James," she said, leaning into his shoulder, "its human nature to fear the unknown. I didn't know how you would react after everything you said. And judging from your initial reaction, well…" Lily said, drying her tears. "Let's just say that I'm now happy that you listened to me and are taking this well."

"We stand together, no matter what. As long as you don't cheat on me, you can tell me anything. That is what family is for," he said, kissing her on the top of her head and holding her close. What he said was true, he could forgive anything, except disloyalty.

"Hear, hear," Sirius said after reading the papers. Those had been an eye-opener, he now knew that everything he had been taught was wrong. "We stand together."

"Okay," Lily said as she sat up, wiped her eyes, and beamed when she saw the acceptance in their faces. "We'll sit the boys down after supper, and tell him that we're all on the same page and that we love him no matter what."

That night they did sit the boys down and explain it to them. The relief in Harry's eyes was enough to know that he had been really scared. The month of waiting for the shoe to drop hadn't helped his nerves at all. Sally and Gary tried to tell him that family would stick together, but the memory of the venom in his dad's voice gave him nightmares. He never wanted that kind of negative feelings to be directed at him, not by his dad. The rest of the world could feel what they want, but family and friends needed to stick by each other.

The adults did remind the boys that the public will think he was an evil wizard, and that he needed to keep this a secret. He couldn't tell is friends, yet. Maybe when they were older and could understand better. That was the conclusion they had already come to, so the twins just nodded their heads and agreed to keep it a secret for now.

The boys were really happy and felt safe in the knowledge that they were loved. However, they were feeling guilty that they couldn't tell them about Sally. They would talk to her tonight, or tomorrow, and plead with her to let them tell their family.

After all she had been wrong about this.


	8. Mum, Dad, Meet Sally

**Chapter 8 Mum, Dad, meet Sally**

 **Thanks to my beta, alix33, for going over this for me. All mistakes are my own.**

 _Edited on 5/31/16, remember the rewrite has no beta. This chapter held a lot of changes, it was quite a mess and hopefully I cleaned it up. It took me three times to get some of the conversations to flow right. I hope you like it, remember to review._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **January 21, 1986**_

The next day went well and all talks of _parselmouths_ were put aside for later, and now it was getting close to supper time. The boys were going over what they should say to Sally to get her to listen to them. They really wanted their parents to know about her, but they had made a promise. They were a bit unsure as to how the adults would react, but after yesterday they were hopeful that it would be in a good way.

"I just think she'll understand if we explain that she was wrong about how they would react then she'll listen. Besides, we could just tell her that we're worried about being caught talking to the air. How would we explain that without lying? I don't want to lie anymore," Harry said as he followed his brother into the game room.

The sitting area of the game room was set up for comfort. There were two couches opposite of each other with four armchairs, two on either side. It was all set up in a square like fashion, so everyone could see everyone else. The furniture was in dark colors so that stains would not be noticed. There was a scarred coffee table in the middle that the boys play on often. There was a carpet that kept the chill off, but was in no way new. It matched the seats in dark colors. The walls in contrast were painted white and there were bright and colorful inspirational posters on the walls. It was mostly for the children, and everyone knew that children, no matter how well versed in manners, were messy.

"I know, Harry, I'm not arguing with you about that. I just don't think we have to trick her. I'm sure we only have to come up with a stronger argument than that. If we just tell her that she was wrong before. I mean, she might get offended, then where would we be? And the talking to air thing, kinda lame," Gary stated as he sat on one of the sofas. It had been something they had been arguing about for about an hour now and they were just repeating their selves.

Harry sat next to him and huffed, "Well, what do you think we should say?"

"Look, I have a plan," Gary said, picking up a book off the table and thumbing through it. "We should explain to Sally that we think it's time to let them know how much we trust them. It'll help us in the future if they know how many players there are and everyone can plan together, it only makes sense. Both Sally and our parents have done so much for us to make the future easier." This was something he had thought long and hard on, for many months. He knew that they would have to tell eventually, and he wanted to be prepared. He was the thinker of the two, while Harry was the doer. Now if only he could get his brother to listen and not have him make up lame excuses.

"Okay, but…" Harry said, conceding the point.

Gary put the book down and turned to his twin. "Look, I agree we should get Sally on our side. What I'm trying to say is we should get her to agree that they should know everything, and I do mean everything. Like I said, if they can plan together then it would be that much easier for all of them. What would happen if Mum planned something and it goes against Sally's plan? Who would we go with?" he questioned.

Harry nodded, that made sense. He could now see where this was going.

"We also need to present a united front when we get to Hogwarts, because, I don't trust Dumbledore —not after he tried to separate us as babies. He thinks I am the Boy-Who-Lived and I wouldn't put it past him to try and separate us when we get there," the younger twin said with some disgust and worry. He really didn't want to be the Boy-Who-Lived and he didn't like that everyone ignored Harry. He hated the fact that people doted on him when he went into public, and that the Headmaster looked to him to save the world.

"I know, Gary," Harry said, giving his brother a one armed hug. "I think we can trust them too. If they didn't get angry at the whole _parselmouth_ thing then I think they can handle this. Do we bring Padfoot and Moony in this too? If we are going to tell Mum and Dad, then we might as well tell the whole family. What about Neville and his parents? Dumbledore might try something with them too, you know? Probably not, but do we take that chance?" he asked all the questions that had been crowding his brain, which were frustrating and worrying him.

The older twin knew that their parents didn't want them to grow up special. They just wanted them to be normal little boys, but he didn't think the public was ever going to let them do that. He felt really bad for Gary. It was supposed to be him that got all the attention, not that he'd like it any better than his brother did, but he wanted the attention off his twin so Gary could go out into public and not have to worry about all those retarded people.

They had made great progress with the magical kids that went to school with them. All his friends just saw Gary as just another boy. But, there will be hundreds of kids they didn't know when they got to Hogwarts. All those stupid books that they couldn't get off the shelves, because they were listed as fiction, and they didn't use his real name just called him Boy-Who-Lived or BWL, so legally they weren't liable. Those stupid fairytales made Gary out to be some kind of wizard prodigy, and the stupid public was eating it up. If it weren't for the non-magical world the Potters would never be able to leave the house. Oh, it was getting better in Diagon Alley, but his poor twin still couldn't walk down the street without people pointing and whispering.

While the boys were mulling over all of Harry's questions, Sally appeared behind them. They seem to forget that she was almost always around them. She had delegated all her responsibilities to her minions and she was to only be contacted on really tough cases where the person refused to move on. The rest of the time she was with all of her charges, there were about twenty now and it was a good thing she was a deity and could be in more places at once, or she would never get anything done. This little girl persona was one of her favorites and she loved hanging around the boys. They were one of the few charges she had that were not abused; they were just marked by Fate.

"You forget I can hear you boys," she said in her cute little girl voice, causing the boys to jump. "I've heard your arguments and I agree on some things. You know I can't read the future, I only get vague feelings. I have been around for a long time and I understand how humans think better than you do, but you were right about the whole _parselmouth_ thing and that we should have told you mum right away. She would have done exactly what she did, research and talked to the men." She got a thoughtful look on her face as she sat in front of the boys. She tapped her little finger on her chin in a very adult manner, which looked completely out of place on her tiny cherub face.

"So we can tell them?" the boys said, leaning forward eagerly to hear her reply.

"Well, I think we should tell your mum, dad and uncles," she stated and then she held up her hands and continued, "but right now that is all. I need them to promise not to tell anyone, I'll ask them to take a vow to stress how important what we are about to tell them is. And if they don't know _Occlumency_ then they need to learn it before you go to Hogwarts. How much magic you've learned and how smart you are, are secrets that cannot get out to anyone outside your family. Not yet anyway, maybe later when your friends are more mature or you know more about them."

"So when can we them? I really want to get this done as soon as possible. I don't like keeping secrets from my parents," Harry said as he sat back down on the sofa. Gary sat beside him and waited for what his little friend would say.

Sally leaned forward in her seat, looked both boys and stated decisively, "You should ask that they all come here after supper. Ask your dad to make sure your godfathers are here as well. Tell them that it is very important."

"Okay, Sally," both boys intoned, getting off the sofa to go and wash up for supper.

 **Hphphp**

Later that night, after a meal of steamed chicken, vegetables and mashed potatoes with gravy, before everyone left the table, Gary spoke up, "Mum, Dad, we have something we need to tell you. Can you call Padfoot and Moony? We need to tell them too. It's not something bad, promise," he stated at their expression and he held his hands up to calm his mum down. "It's just something weird that we feel you should know about."

"Is this something I'm going have to yell at you or ground you for?" Lily asked worried. After the stress from yesterday, she wasn't sure if they could handle anything bad right now.

"No, yes, maybe… I can tell you that we've been keeping a secret for a very long time, but we had a really good reason. We want to tell you now, but we want to tell everyone at the same time. Can we meet in the game room?" Gary asked as he and Harry, as one, jumped from their chairs and ran out of the room before she answered.

Lily and James looked at each other in shock. She was getting up to go and yell at the boys, but, the look on his face made her stop. She sat back in her chair and arched an eyebrow at him.

He just shook his head and said, "Lily, I don't think the boys would keep a secret if it wasn't important. Besides they are only five, how big of a secret could it be? Could really be bigger than Harry being a _parselmouth_?" he asked, tempting fate in Lily's opinion, but she listened to him quietly. He was making sense, after all. "Why don't you finish your tea, and I'll go call Padfoot and Moony. I'll get Taffy to tell the boys we'll be there in a minute. But you need to calm down before you go," he said. He knew his wife had quite a temper, but it was not needed right now. After the whole snake thing they needed to let the boys know that they would not be mad at them for much of anything.

Lily took a deep breath and sat back down. She grabbed her cup and finished her now warm tea. James had called the house elf and sent her to the boys and left to Floo his friends. When the men came into the room ten minutes later, they sat at the now clean table.

"What's up?" Sirius asked, looking at his friend's and then Lily's faces. She was tense, but James was relaxed, so it couldn't be that bad.

"The boys want to tell us something. They said they have been keeping a secret. Lily is a bit miffed that there is more than the whole snake talking thing. I am of the opinion that it can't be that bad. Anyway, we need to head to the game room; the boys are waiting for us. Taffy," James called.

"Master James is calling Taffy?" the little elf asked as she popped into the room.

"Yes, we are going to need some dessert for six, can you bring it to me here, since we're going into the null room?" he asked politely.

"Taffy can do that," she squeaked and snapped her fingers and a tray of biscuits and pumpkin juice appeared on the table.

"Thank you, Taffy, you can go now," the older Potter stated as he picked up the tray. The men left, and though she was still upset Lily got up to follow. They all made it to the game room. James deposited the tray on the coffee table between the seats. They all sat around on couches and chairs, facing the boys. Lily looked to James and let him start.

"Okay boys, we're here. What is it you wanted to tell us?" James said calmly, grabbing a glass of juice and one of the biscuits.

Harry looked at the worried faces of the adults, took a deep breath and said, "You know the night Voldemort came and tried to kill everyone?" nods and flinches all around. "Well, something else happened that night. Mum, you really died, but Death, we call her Sally, said she had a feeling that you would be needed and brought you back. She is the one that made the cutting curse so you couldn't have any more kids. She said in order to bring you back; a price had to be paid. She said she asked your soul first and you agreed. She has been with us ever since." He looked at his mum and fretted a bit. He knew she always wanted a big family, and he had to wonder if the price was too high.

Lily looked gobsmacked. She had given up on having more kids to come back to life? Well now that she thought about it, it was something she would do. She nodded her head and waved her hand for them to continue, not sure if she could talk without yelling.

"Anyway, we wanted to tell you that Sally… well, she never left. She has been our friend since as long as we can remember," Gary said as he picked up a glass and took a sip.

Sally appeared on the sofa next to the boys and gave a little wave. The adults jumped and grabbed their wands, forgetting this was a magic null room.

"Sally has been teaching us things. We know loads of wandless magic— passive stuff. And as you can hear from the way we're talking, we're a lot smarter than you think. We've been reading since we were three— little stuff, like children's books. We didn't start reading the heavy stuff until we went to school," Gary said, putting his glass down and folding his hands on his lap, making it look like it wasn't a big thing that Death was in the room. It was very out of place for these little kids to be taking control of the conversation, but the adults were all in a state of shock.

Lily was frantically trying to reconcile her thoughts. Here were her children talking like adults and going on about how they were friends with Death. She didn't want that for her kids, she wanted them to have a childhood. It was what she had been fighting Dumbledore about for years. Now, here was this deity that was raising her children to be prodigies. She wasn't sure if she should be angry or happy that they were finally coming clean.

"Don't worry so, Lily, I make sure they have fun," Sally said with a giggle and a wink. "It is one of the reasons I chose this persona, so the boys would be more comfortable. They play house with me all the time," she said, making the boys glare at her and the men laugh. It cut the tension in the room a lot, though Lily still looked angry.

"Anyway," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "We wanted to tell you now, so that all of you can make your plans together. All of you are trying to keep me and Gary safe, and it would be easier if you worked with each other," he stated as he picked up a cushion and started playing with it. He glanced that the adult faces trying to judge how they were taking this. So far it was mostly disbelief even though Sally was sitting right here. His mum looked ready to explode, and he was a bit concerned that she might make his little friend mad.

"We're sorry for keeping this a secret, but you have to understand we've been friends with Sally almost as long as we have been alive. We have listened to her concerns about how people react to her. However, she did make us promise that if she ever told us to do bad things we were to tell you right away," Gary said, taking the cushion from his brother's nervous hands. "Sally is not any more evil than me and Harry."

"Let me get this straight," said Sirius, pointing at Sally, "You're Death, but you don't want to hurt anyone. We're not going to die by seeing you?"

"No,"' Sally said with a giggle and a shake of her head, "it doesn't work like that. You'll only see me after you die, not before." Then she sobered up and put a very firm look on her kid-like face. "I've taken a special interest in the boys because Voldemort was supposed to die that night. He didn't though; he found a way to run from me. He created soul containers, you call them _horcruxes_. Lily was on the correct trail with all her research. The problem is that there isn't much written about them. If she and I work together, we can hopefully find them and I can destroy them. I can't find them because they are in the land of the living," she said as she looked at the adults and saw they were horrified that they were correct that Voldemort was going to come back. "There is something I need to tell you that I haven't told Harry yet. Harry has one of these in his scar. I saw it implant there that Halloween night."

Everyone, including the boys, gasped at that bit of news, and then they all started shouting in disbelief. Lily and James ran to their children and pulled Harry and Gary into a four way hug.

Sally let this go on for a few minutes knowing they needed to get it out of their system. Then she shouted above everyone, "SIT DOWN! If you listen, I will explain."

Everyone sat down, shocked that such a young looking girl could yell that loudly, and tried to calm themselves. James and Lily had the boys on their laps, not letting go for any reason.

"Does that make me evil after all? There's a piece of an evil man in my head. Am I going to hurt my family? I don't want to be evil," Harry said as he started get hysterical again, hugging his mum close. He really didn't want to cry, he was a big boy, but with all the stress of the last month, waiting for his mum to tell his dad about the snakes… well, he was ready to have a good cry and go to bed.

"Harry, look at me," Sally said gently, getting up to kneel in front of the distraught boy. "I would have never left that in you if it was going to turn you evil. You and your brother are very gentle souls with an abundance love for everyone you meet. There is no way you will ever, ever be evil. Do you understand? Take my word for it. I have seen evil souls and yours is not one. Do you trust me?" the persona of Death asked, looking into Harry's eyes and hoping to calm the poor boy.

Harry looked into the bright blue eyes of the little girl he had known most of his life. She had never lied to them, she had always made sure they had fun while they learned and never said anything bad to them. "Yes, Sally, I trust you," he said, snuggling back against his mum, feeling much better now.

"Well I sure the hell don't," Lily snarled, leaning around Harry so she could get in Sally's face. "I have no idea if you are who you say you are. I have no way of knowing if you are out to hurt my children." Her eyes flashed with repressed anger. How dare this… child… deity… whatever the hell she was keep her child as a _horcrux_? She wanted that vile piece of soul out of her boy and the sooner the better. She wasn't even sure that this… being was Death. "How do I know you have my boys' best interest at heart?"

"You would doubt my word? I have been here since that night, when I gave you back your life. If I wanted to hurt the boys, I would have done so years ago," the tiny girl child said, her eyes flashed just as strongly as the mother's. "I love these boys as much as I'm able. Not as much as you do, but since I am a neutral deity my emotions are not as strong as a humans. However, I do care for all my charges."

That statement caused some confused looks among the men, who were being silent and letting Lily handle this. That and they had grown up to fear Death, is seems Lily had no such fear. James put his hand on his wife's arm, and tried to pull her back. He was very worried for her life right now.

"How do we even know you are who you say you are? So what if you appeared in our null room? You could have used an invisibility cloak," Lily stated as she shrugged off her husband, not really sure if one could work in the null room.

Sally sighed. "Fine, you want proof? Here you go," she said as she touched Lily's forehead and made her remember the night she died.

Lily reeled back in shock and after viewing the memory she started crying. "Oh my god, you're telling the truth. You gave me back my children," the mum said as tears of sadness and happiness streamed down her face.

"Lily, are you okay?" her worried husband asked as he put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her close.

"Oh, James, I remember now. She's telling the truth, I died. I was so worried about the kids that night. I was afraid that they would die too. I thought you were already dead. I remember talking to… Sally, and I remember making the deal with her. It's like the boys said," she said, looking at her husband and then looking down at the boys. "I'm still upset with you boys for keeping secrets. If you want all of us to trust each other you can't keep secrets. Understand?" she said sternly to the twins. They nodded their head in unison. Though she was calmer, she still wanted to know why her child had to have that… horcrux in his head. She opened her mouth to asked, but Sally held up her hands.

"Sit back and I'll explain," the little girl said as she got up off her knees. Lily nodded and she and James settled further on the sofa with the boys still in their laps. Sally took the armchair at the side of them. Sirius and Remus were still sitting in armchairs on the other side.

"Okay," the deity said, "now that everyone is calm let me tell you why I feel that Harry needs this _horcrux_ in his scar. Like I told the boys, I can't see the future, but I get vague feelings, like mother's intuition. When this _horcrux_ imbedded into Harry I got the feeling that one day it _could_ save his life. I've been monitoring it ever since. It seems to be contained in the scar and it's not affecting him in any way. To make sure of this, I have been teaching both boys _Occlumency_ to go along with the meditations you Potters do each night. Every one of you that doesn't know this technique will start learning it tonight when we are done talking. You must know it before the boys reach Hogwarts."

The adults all nodded their head. All the pure-bloods had a pretty good start on _Occlumency;_ __it was taught to all of them when they were young. Remus didn't have to worry, the wolf in his mind kept everyone out. James made a promise to himself that he would help Lily learn.

"Now that you all understand how important all this is, I need vows from all of you that you will not reveal anything that has been said or will be said this night or any time we discuss important things," Sally demanded, looking into everyone's eyes.

The adults looked at each other in silent discussion, after a few minutes of this there was a nodding of the heads. Lily and James put the boys on the sofa and the adults left the magic null room and went into the hallway. They deliberated how they were going to phrase the vow, because vows can be tricky things. They finally decided to keep it simple, yet all encompassing. The vow they all took was thus:

 _I,_ insert name here _, do vow on my life and magic that I will never tell anyone not in this house right now about Death, also known as Sally, or anything this deity says. I will keep everything that Death tells me to myself, be it tonight or any other time that I am asked. Unless given leave by Death. On this I vow._

After the vow was spoken, everyone returned to the game room and positioned themselves the same way they were before. The boys, not wanting to be babies, climbed back on the couch opposite of their parents. Sally sat between them. They all looked at each other wondering where to start.

Remus spoke for the first time, "Okay, tell us everything and then we can start planning on how to keep the boys safe."


	9. Sally's lessons

**Chapter 9: Sally's Lesson**

 **Thanks to my beta, alix33, for going over this for me. All mistakes are my own.**

 _Edited 6/1/16. This chapter got a bit of a facelift. I separated the lecture, made things more dramatic between Sally and Lily and put a few atmosphere lightening lines in. I hope that it now flows like a story and less like a classroom lesson._

 _Someone pointed out that if I sell the mirrors than anyone could buy them, including Death Eaters. In my opinion it is thinking like that that represses progress. How would our world have progressed if the inventors of the newspapers, cellphones, house phones or even telegraphs thought the same way? Just my humble opinion, but for the sake of progress, they will be sold to everyone._

 **Hphphp**

Sally looked at the anxious adults and sighed and began her speech. She hoped that there weren't too many interruptions, but knowing this group… "Okay, like the boys told you, I've been around them since they were fifteen months old. At first it was just at night when you were asleep. I would teach them little things, like changing the color of their sheets or having them float toys to their crib. As they got older I started on bigger stuff, like shields and stinging hexes, nothing really demanding," she said with a cute little proud smile at the thoughts of her boys doing magic for the first time. "I'm the one to who told the boys not to tell you, when they got old enough to ask."

"Why, why would to take that from us?" Lily demanded as a few tears fell from her eyes, making the twins feel worse than they had before. "I don't blame you, boys," she said, after seeing the looks on their faces. "I blame Sally," she spat, glaring that the little girl, who was failing to look contrite. "We missed so many first that I can't even begin to tell you how angry I am with you. And were you not the embodiment of Death then you would know just how pissed off I am." Her green eyes flashed with anger and frustration that she couldn't curse the being with the cute face.

"Honestly, I was doing what I thought was right," Sally said with a sad shake of her head. She had never been a mother and being a neutral deity… well, she was a bit apathetic on how strongly Lily felt. "I heard you talking one night; you were hoping that the boys had a normal childhood. It was after Dumbledore said that Gary would be powerful when he grew older," she explained in a sincere voice. "You were talking with James about that and wishing you had never heard of the prophecy. So when they were old enough to understand, I told them that they should act like normal little boys. I even walked them through how to talk for someone their age. And it worked, you were happy," she shrugged, looking around at the adults.

The men looked confused, not that they didn't understand, but they knew better than to piss off what was generally taken as the God of Death. Why would Lily be fighting an entity that could kill her with a look? Oh, James was just as upset that he missed the boys doing magic, but his upbringing would not allow him to argue with a divine being.

The twins were exchanging guilty and worried looks. They had no idea how this would play out and felt bad that they were at least a bit responsible for letting it happen.

"We would have been happy, either way. Actually I would have preferred to know how well my boys were doing, and then I could have helped. I love my children be they prodigies or not," Lily snarled, not the least bit appeased. "You had no right to take those first from us," she said, glaring at the little girl who held such sway over her children.

"Look, I only did it for you, but now that you know, we can move on," the tiny deity said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Lily thumped back onto the couch seeing that there was no way to make this person understand just how wrong she had been. How did one make an ageless deity change their perspective? "Fine, I'll drop this for now, but know that I don't like you, and it may be a while before I do."

"I can live with that," Sally said cheekily, knowing that she would win the woman over, if only for the boys' sake. "Now," she continued, "at first they reacted like any other child and it was great fun keeping a secret from adults and playing pretend. Then as they learned to read and started think logically they wanted to tell you about me, but I told them no. I told them you wouldn't understand and that adults were scared of Death."

That caused the men to nod in agreement, and Lily to open her mouth in protest, but Sally lifted her hand in an I-know-better-now way. The redheaded mother snapped her mouth shut and glared at everyone, barring her boys.

"After we discovered that Harry was a _parselmouth,_ we started to become worried that you would reject him," the cute little being said as she held up her tiny hands to ward off the protestations. "I know now that I was wrong and I'm sorry, but can you really blame us? Think of your initial reaction and tell me the first thing that popped into your head wasn't horror and then denial and you probably thought 'My son is not evil'. After the boys saw that you would love them not matter what, they decided to come to me and convince me to tell our secret."

The men looked sheepish; it had been their initial reaction. Thank Merlin, Lily was more levelheaded than them. Had it not been for her research then it might have been harder to overcome years of teaching.

"What else have you three been keeping secret from us?" Lily wanted to know. She was appalled that there was so much already and right under their noses. "What else have you been doing with my boys?"

"There isn't much more to tell, just that the boys are very smart and can do limited wandless and wordless magic," Sally answered sweetly, trying to appease the woman who seemed to hate her right now. "Harry's better than Gary, but they are both pretty good."

That caused all the adults to beam with pride.

"Way to go, boys," James said, happily.

"Thanks, Dad," they said proudly.

"Right," Sally started, bringing the attention back to her. "Now that you know, you can help by seeing if you can't get their friends caught up with at least Gary. Not in intellect, just in magic. The boys were born intelligent and I'm sure my sister Fate had something to do with that, because they are smarter than even Lily was when she was younger. However, if you get their friends to start thinking logically it would help. I've notice most wizard lose their common sense when they really start doing wand magic." She pointed around the room. "Including you men, so lessons in logic might benefit you as well. If you quit making everything about pranks there might be help for you yet."

That caused the men to protest, until Lily glared at them and snapped, "Severus Snape," shutting them right up.

Sally nodded her head in agreement and went on, "There is much to learn on the Internet, many self-help sites will help get the brain ticking. Hogwarts goes a long way in reducing logic by telling the young children not to question why magic happens just accept that it does. People like Lily and Severus are among the few that graduate Hogwarts and still have logical thinking. Most Muggle-born or -raised are so caught up with doing magic they forget everything they were taught in primary school."

Lily agreed. "You're right. Hold on for just a minute, I want to write some stuff down," she said as she went to one of the desk along the wall and took out some paper pads and pencils. She was already making list of television programs and websites that would further the children's knowledge along in her head and she wanted to get it on paper. She took the writing utensils back to the living area and put them on the table with the forgotten juice and biscuits. Remus, being the scholar he is, snatched on up and started taking notes. Lily wrote down what she had thought of so far and then looked a Sally and said, "Go on."

"This is one of the reasons that I brought Lily back," Sally said with a sunny smile of approval. "She is the smartest, most logical among you four. She will keep you grounded, so that what needs to be done can be."

Everyone had to agree with that, Lily was the brightest witch of her age group. Only Snape came close to her intellect.

"What you are doing with the boys' friends is great, and you should continue doing it," the little girl continued and looked at Lily. "You guys did the right thing bringing them all the families together and putting the kids in that school. Maybe you can add some non-magical moral stories to their play time? There are those kid shows on the telly that can help a lot, too. This will keep them wondering and thinking rationally, I can't _stress_ how important this is," she said sternly.

"See, Lily, we did the right thing," James said with a big smile, trying to break the overwhelming urge to take notes in this lecture type talk.

"Too right," Sirius said, picking up the thread.

"You two, stop horsing around. This could be important," Remus mildly chastised as he made a few more notes.

"Oh, it is okay," Sally giggled. "They're just proving my point."

"Well, it is getting late and I want this talk to be over, so you two behave and pay attention. Go ahead, Sally," Lily said once more poised to take summaries.

Harry and Gary just chuckled through their yawns. Their dad and Uncle always had a way to lighten the air.

"Alright, back on topic," Sally said, putting her professor face back on. "Now, we need to make plans on how to keep all the kids together when they get to Hogwarts. Dumbledore will try and separate them, after all House rivalry is tradition. I have a feeling that it might work on a few of the boys' friends, but if we can get the rest to continue to think sensibly, then the boys will have a large support group. And maybe they can start reuniting all the Houses like the souls of the Founders tell me they want," the embodiment of Death said, looking off into the distance and seeing the souls of the Founders nod in agreement.

"Wait, you can talk to the souls of the Founders? Didn't they like pass on to a… I don't know… higher realm or something?" Sirius said as he looked to where she was and tried to see what she was looking at. There was nothing there.

"Of course I can talk to them," Sally snapped as she brought her focus back on the group. "I _am_ Death. I know all souls that have passed on. They come to the crossroad realm to look at the living world to see how much it has changed. The Founders have been moaning to me for centuries about how divided the Houses of Hogwarts are."

"But… wait… I mean, that can't be right. Didn't Salazar _want_ the Houses to be divided?" Remus asked in confusion.

"Don't be stupid," the little girl spirit bit out. "Use your brain. You were always the smarter one of you three. That castle and all its wards didn't show up overnight you know. Those four worked together for _decades_ to make a school where all magical children could learn. They were _very_ _good_ _friends_. Of course they fought, don't you guys?" she questioned, knowing the answer, but needed them to come to the conclusion on their own.

The three Marauders looked at one another and remembered all the times they disagreed and the one time they didn't trust Remus and took the word of Peter instead. They all gave weak smiles to one another and then turned back to Sally.

"See, even the best of friends have problems. Anyway, after one of the major fights, Salazar left to cool off and never came back. History doesn't know what happened to him, but I do. Salazar was killed by religious mongers that were out to kill all wizards and witches. Even though they weren't a great issue until much later they still roamed in a band to wipe out all magic users. There have always been groups of zealots in history, and now. Anyway, they spotted him one day, and they knew who he was. The group waited to catch him. They didn't want to kill him right away, they wanted him to tell them where Hogwarts was and who was there. He died keeping those secrets, therefore keeping everyone safe— including the Muggle-born."

"That is not what we were taught," Lily said as she scratched notes on her pad.

"No, it isn't," Sally agreed, leaning forward and taking one of the biscuit. She didn't need to eat, of course, but it made humans more comfortable when she did. "But that's how he died, protecting the castle. It was one of the reasons he didn't want Muggle-borns in the school. He feared that they too would be tortured to give away the secrets of the castle. And he was correct," she said, tapping her finger on the table in front of her for emphasis, while holding her treat in her other hand. "Many children died that way. It was a good thing the wards kept non-magicals away or the castle would have fallen shortly after it was established."

"What of the other Founders, how did they react? I mean, did they ever find out how he died?" Sirius asked as he too snatched up a biscuit and nibbled on it.

"No, they never did. They all found out when they passed, and were mournful of the way they thought of their friend," Death answered with a shake of her head. "I remember how sad they all were when history told their story, and made them out to be godlike. They were only human, powerful yes, but only because they worked together." She turned her little head and looked around the room to see how they were taking the story. She could see some doubt, after all the men had grown up being told that Salazar was an evil man. It was going to take some time and maybe more history from her to convince them otherwise. The boys and Lily though seem to believe her. "The point is, they want the school united as it once was and maybe it will be the boys and their friends that do that."

"Maybe, but won't most the of the school turn against the kids if they try? They'll be going against tradition and all. Kids can be cruel, you know. And if Hogwarts' students all think that Gary is the Boy-Who-Lived, they might be harder on him if he doesn't live up to their expectations," Lily said, still taking in everything they learned that night.

Who would have thought that Death was a little girl and that she had been friends with the boys since that night? Lily was grateful that Sally brought her back from the dead, and seemed to want to work with them. However, she was still upset that this person made her boys keep secrets from her. Oh, she could understand why she did it, but the fact that she felt it necessary… well that hurt. Yes, it will take a while to trust Death.

"Yes, kids can be cruel," Sally agreed with a nod of her little head, causing her pigtails to bob. "We'll have to prepare all the children that that might happen. They all need to know about peer pressure and how to fight it. Which, is way I am stressing the point that they all need to be taught to think for themselves. I know Gary doesn't want to use his fame for anything, because he knows it is false; however, he can use it to be heard among his peers."

"I'm not sure if I like him doing that," Lily argued. They had been teaching Gary not to use his fame for anything. This would go against those lessons.

"Don't worry, it'll all be a front," Sally said, not worried that Gary would get a big head. She and Harry would make sure he keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground. "Anyway, if he and Harry and all their friends stand together, they have a chance to make the Founders dream come true. I know there will be people who will be cruel and petty, especially among the older children, it can't be helped. I'll be there with them to help them through those times. If you can find a way for the boys to communicate with you instantly that would help them a lot. You can support them as well," Sally said, trying to push that if they work together they will not fail.

"Oh, oh we have those mirrors we can give them. We can make more and maybe even try to market them. We can give them to all the kids, that way if they are in separate houses they can still talk to each other at night," James said, snapping his fingers as he came up with the idea.

"That's a great idea, James," Remus said, taking note.

"Yeah, I'll see if I can't find the notes on how to make them," Sirius added. "I know a guy that can help us market them. His name is Hayden Robson. Remember, he was in Ravenclaw, a year above us. I dated his sister, Madison, who was in our year. He told me before he graduated that he was going into the family business. They make most of the gadgets that are sold in Zonko's, so maybe he will help us market these," the dogman said, rubbing the back of his head in thought.

"That's also a good idea," the werewolf agreed.

"Though," Sirius said thoughtfully, "I'm not sure if we can sell them in Zonko's. They only sell joke stuff. We'll have to figure out which store to sell them in, maybe Wiseacre's, they sell all sorts of weird stuff. Oh well," he shrugged, "we can give it a thought later, but for right now we can make them for the kids."

"Ohhhh, we should recreate the Map so all the kids can get around the school. We should improve it," James stated with another snap of his fingers. _'Yeah, I'm on roll,'_ he thought.

"We should think up a name for the kids group, it will give them a sense of unity like us when we called ourselves the Marauders," Sirius said, bouncing in his seat already coming up with a few names.

"Ummm…" Harry, who had been quiet up till now, spoke. "We think we, the kids, will think up a name. After all we're the ones who'll have it. So I think it is only fair that we think it up. Besides I'm not sure if I trust you not to think up something stupid," he said with a smile, showing that he was mostly joking.

"Oi, we don't think up stupid names," his uncle said with a mock growl.

"Wormtail," Remus said in all seriousness.

"Oh, yeah, that one was pretty stupid. Who thought of that again?" Sirius said a little shamefaced.

The adults just looked at him shaking their heads. But, at least the atmosphere wasn't as heavy anymore, which is what Harry wanted.

"I think that the mirrors and map are great ideas," the younger twin added his two Knuts worth. "We'll get together with the kids after school tomorrow and see what they say about the name thing. We'll still have to dumb ourselves down, but, I think we should try and start coming off a little smarter." Harry nodded in time with his brother, agreeing to everything he was saying. "We don't want them to bump us up a grade so we get separated from the group. However, when we're here at the manor, we should start coming off smarter then we have been. I know some of them will start getting jealous, but, as long as we don't lord it over them we should be okay," Gary said in a voice that was far older that a five year old should have.

Lily looked at her watch and noted it was now going on ten p.m. "It's getting late, and the boys have school tomorrow. We should get together over the weekend. We need to continue this when we are all awake and alert. We need to talk about who we're going to tell or not. But right now the kids need to go to bed," the redheaded mother said, putting her notepad down and pointing to the uncles. "Give you dad and uncles hugs and kisses, and Mummy will tuck you in after you brush your teeth and wash your face," she said.

"Okay, Mummy," the boys said as they did what they were told. They were just happy that the evening went as well as they hoped. They only had a bit up guilt left over from the fact that their mum didn't like Sally, but that was between the two females. "See you later, Sally," they said as they ran out of the room to get ready for bed.

"Quit running," Lily yelled in a futile effort to make her children walk.

"Sorry, Mum," the boys yelled back not really slowing down, just like children everywhere.

"It's so weird when they do that," Sirius said, giving a false shiver.

"Molly said that it'll get stranger the more they mature. She said they'll start to finish each other's sentences like they're reading each other's minds. She doesn't know if they are actually doing that. When she asked her brothers and sons about it, they wouldn't tell her," Lily informed them. "I can't wait for when that happens, because it means that no matter what they won't ever be separated." She was hoping beyond hope that it happened before they get to Hogwarts.

Sally knew what caused it, but she wasn't telling. Because it was a twin thing— a secret kept for many generations, only twins knew it and could share it. The Prewitt twins passed it on to their nephews, via a diary. Now, according to the whispering she had overheard, those two were going to pass it on to her boys. And hopefully, they would pass it on to any set of twins they knew. And on and on it would go. "James?" the little girl said, drawing the man's attention to her.

"Yeah?" James answered, wondering what else she could want.

"Do you know the Patils?" she asked with a tiny tilt of her head.

"Ummm, no… well, I know of them," he answered as he scratched his chin. "I remember thinking about them when the boys were born. They had a set of twins born a few months before ours, girls I think. I remember reading about them and thinking that it was good thing the boys wouldn't be the only twins in their year," James said as his forehead wrinkled with remembrance on what he had read.

"I think you should find them and try to befriend them. Maybe see if they will let their girls go to school with your boys. I have a feeling those girls will need the boys' help with something. It would be easier if we get them together now so a trust can form," she said with a mischievous smile, making James think this was for some future prank.

"Okay, I'll look them up tomorrow when I go to the Ministry. More children are always welcome," the older Potter said as he tried to figure out just how to do that. The Patils didn't have political clout, because they were foreigners, maybe if he sponsored them, they could get a better foothold here in Britain. It was something to look into.

"Okay, well I'm off. I have things to do. You won't see me until the weekend, but I'll be around," Sally giggled as she gave a cute little wave of her hand and faded out of sight.

"That's creepier than when the twins talk," Sirius said with a real shiver this time. This whole night had been weird and it was going to take a few days to get it all sorted out in his brain. But now that he was going to start _Occlumency_ again it would be easier. He shook his head to clear it, slapped his hands on his knees and got up from the couch. "Well I'm off, too. I want to go to sleep and see if the world rights itself in the morning. Have a good night, everyone."

"Good night, Padfoot. See you this weekend, if not sooner," James said, waving off his best friend off from where he sat next to his wife, who had picked up her notes and was going over them.

"Hold up, Padfoot, I'll walk with you. Night, James, Lily," Remus said as he joined Sirius at the door.

"Night, boys," Lily said as she looked up from her notes and waved them out. She let out a sigh and put the pad down again. "Let's go to bed, James. I need to tuck the boys in so I'll join you in a minute," she said, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, sweetheart, I am a bit knackered," he said, getting up and holding out his hand to help her.

She smiled and took his hand. She made sure to thank him well, with a kiss on the lips that promised more, causing him to firm his hold on her waist.

"Well, maybe not that knackered," he said with a grin and another kiss.

"Hmmm," was her reply as she kissed him back.

They parted and went up the stairs hand in hand and separated at the top. James all but hopped down the hall as he went to turn down the bed and get ready for what he hoped was a night of fun.

Lily just fondly shook her head at her husband's back and made her way to the boy's room. She was glad that they still roomed together to strengthen the bond. It made it easier to tuck them in, that and she wanted that bond to grow as strong as it could. She smiled lovingly at them and gave each sleeping boy a kiss on their scars. Her smile turned into a frown as she hoped that tomorrow wouldn't hold any more surprises.

Shaking her head of that thought, she went to bed, and made good her promise. The adult Potters finally got some sleep, much, much later, but it was well worth it after the tense month they had. Now they cuddled and dreamed of a brighter future.

Sally had given them hope for their boys, even though there were still a few worrying things, the plans they were making would help those tasks flow much easier. Lily smiled in her sleep as she dreamed of how close her family would now become.


	10. The Mutineers and The Ritual

**Chapter 10 The Mutineers and The Ritual**

 _Edited 6/1/16. I went over it five times, but my eyes got googly so there might be some mistakes._

 _This chapter got a major facelift. A lot had to be rearranged and reworded. I added a bit at the beginning and to the ritual. I even changed the chapter title._

 _Also I wanted to say that I suck with numbers. Along with normal dyslexia, I have much more sever number dyslexia, which has its own name, but I can never remember it._

 _Anyway, I can do the same sums and come up with different answers each time, even with a calculator. I barely passed math and History because of it. I would do the problem correctly, but flip my numbers, the same with dates. So, not being able to remember ages and dates makes writing stories like this one hard. I have tons of notes, but reading a date wrong… well, you get my point. So, if you see something that is incorrect, let me know and I'll try and fix it._

 _It has been reviewed that keeping up with so many characters is hard. The group will mostly be in the background, except the parents and even they will be dwindled down. A large group is needed for the success of uniting the Houses and finding the horcruxes. So please be patient, they are needed._

 _Someone said that the Patil adult names both sound feminine; I got all the non-canon names from a random name selector. They are correct genders._

 _According to Harry wiki, Pandora is the name of Luna's mother. However, other sources have it as other names. I like Pandora and will not be changing it._

 _Sorry for the short chapter and long AN._

 _ **I have been remiss in not thanking you all for your reviews, favorites, follows and adding me to your communities. I apologize for that. I just get so caught up in the writing that I forget. So please forgive me and take my thanks in the heartfelt manner it is given.**_

 **Hphphp**

 **A medium narration and a time skip.**

Time went on and the group of children grew closer. The kids shared many things and were forming as a tight knit unit. They met at the Potter home afterschool and did their homework, played games, watched the telly, researched on the Internet and learned magic. Most of them were there for a good three hours, waiting for their parent to get off work. The poor house elves were run ragged trying to keep up with them, though Lily and James told them they didn't have to. But, the little beings loved making sure the kids were well feed with snacks and juice.

Bringing the kids together was a successful plan as more and more wizarding kids were sent to non-magical schools, mostly because it was free. Many half-bloods were already going, and now there were quite a few pure-bloods as well. Not in the same school as the twins' group, but non-magical schools nonetheless. Some of the bias pure-bloods on the Wizengamot tried to stop it, but too many members were doing it with their own families. Now more mothers were seeking part-time jobs and the economy was growing.

Harry, Gary, their parents and uncles would all meet with Sally and discuss how things were going and what they needed to do in the future. The twins fretted about Hogwarts, after hearing how the Houses treated each other. They knew that they would be separated from their friends and stressed out over what that could do to the group. They knew that their friends were concerned over the same thing. There were great plans in motion to keep the gang together, the use of the mirrors would be a great help. So far, the Marauders hadn't made anymore. They were improving them and hoped to have the ready before Hogwarts, along with the maps.

 _Because of all the research and brainstorming they did, every one of the kids' grades escalated and they were doing really well in school. None of the other Mutineers, which was what they were calling their little gang, were as smart and Harry and Gary, but most of them accepted that. The boys had slowly brought the groups attention to how clever they really were, by helping them with their homework and adding references to essays._

 _Lily had brought out her old Hogwarts first year school books and showed the kids all the improvements she and Severus had made on Charms, Transfiguration and Potions, so that they didn't go in blind like a lot of kids would. She mentioned the few clubs that Hogwarts had and suggested they ask Professor McGonagall for an empty classroom where their group could study. Maybe one of the classrooms already used for a club, and then they would simply use it when it is not in session. That way none of the professors or the headmaster could accuse them of sneaking around. They could open the group to more people and choose who they would add to the Mutineers._

 _She was also the one to suggest what websites were good and what telly shows they should watch. Story time was split between her and Remus._

 _Remus was also a lot of help with the theory of magic. He would take each child aside and explain what was known. This way there could be questions and debates with just the two. Then the child could take what he learned and talk to the other kids. The werewolf did this so that he knew that he was getting his point across._

 _James and Frank were teaching them some politics and laws that would affect minors. This was going over well, since none of them wanted to be caught breaking the law. It would be helpful in the long run if they knew what was what in the Wizengamot. Politics would also help them in matters with adults not in the group._

 _Sirius stressed how important classes were if you wanted to play good pranks. All of the classes at Hogwarts were important in making a good joke._

 _The Mutineers didn't know everything about the Potter family, but they had all been together for two years and the boys had never lied to them. They let them know that there were secrets that couldn't be revealed right now, but when everyone was older and had a firmer grip on their_ _Occlumency_ _, well then the boys would share._

 _The fact that Potter manor now had ten computers went a long way in forging the group's solidarity. Many of the children talked their parents into also getting a room set up like the game room they all studied in. A few of the parents with Lily's help did so. Unfortunately, not all of them could afford such a room, since computers were quite expensive and satellite wasn't cheap either. However, the Potters didn't mind sharing, so there were many slumber parties._

 _Right now the Mutineers consisted of:_

1\. Harry Potter… half-blood …parents are Lily and James (Lily was muggle-born)

2\. Gary Potter …half-blood …parents are Lily and James (Lily was muggle-born)

3\. Hannah Abbott …half-blood …parents are Giffard and Mary (mom is muggle)

4\. Alice Mcfay …muggle-born (lives near the manor) …parents are Hollis and Kestrel

5\. Susan Bones …half-blood … parents are dead; aunt is Amelia (head of the DMLE)

6\. Terry Boot …pure-blood … parents are Dee and Albert

7\. Mandy Brocklehurst …half-blood … parents are Rachelle and Kenton (dad is muggle-born)

8\. Michael Corner …half-blood … parents are Desiree and Wren (dad is muggle)

9\. Spencer Jackson …pure-blood (a year below the boys)… parents are Pearl and Derryl

10\. Tracey Davis …half-blood … parents are Aric and Grace (mom is muggle-born)

11\. Fay Dunbar …pure-blood … parents are Cherry and Lewin

12\. Ellie Godfrey …muggle-born (one year below the boys) … parents are Austyn and Dora

13\. Seamus Finnigan …half-blood … parents are Kiera and Finbarr (dad is muggle)

14\. Daphne Greengrass …pure-blood … parents are Celeste and Natalie

15\. Astoria Greengrass …pure-blood (a year below the boys)… parents are Celeste and Natalie

16\. Wayne Hopkins …half-blood … parents are Jeanne and Wayne (mom is muggle)

17\. Megan Jones …muggle-born (brought in by Hannah Abbot)… parents are Peter and Gwenog

18\. Neville Longbottom …pure-blood … Frank and Alice

19\. Padma Patil …pure-blood … parents are Sarita and Mayur

20\. Parvati Patil …pure-blood … parents are Sarita and Mayur

21\. Leanne Jameson …half-blood … parents are Elliot and Aimee (both parents are muggle-born)

22\. Luna Lovegood …pure-blood (a year below the boys) … parents are Xenophilius and Pandora

23\. Percy Weasley …pure-blood (four years above the boys) … parents are Molly and Arthur

24\. Fred Weasley …pure-blood (two years above the boys) … parents are Molly and Arthur

25\. George Weasley …pure-blood (two years above the boys) … parents are Molly and Arthur

26\. Ron Weasley …pure-blood … parents are Molly and Arthur

27\. Ginny Weasley …pure-blood (one year below the boys) … parents are Molly and Arthur

They didn't have many Muggle-borns, because they had no way of finding them. Most of the group was brought in by Frank and James through their political connections.

Right now, the parents were still getting to know one another phase, since the Potters haven't shared many secrets with them. They wanted to make sure that what they shared would not get back to the Headmaster. Even today the man was trying to talk them into separating the boys in hopes of breaking, or weakening, the twins' bond.

Lily was watching the bond closely, still optimistic that the boys would start finishing each other's sentences. So far nothing, little did she know that was about to change.

The Weasley twins, on the sly, did give the boys the ritual and told them to do it on their seventh birthday, since seven was a magical number. The Potter twins were happy they had passed it on to the Patils before their seventh birthday. They were ecstatic that their dad did had gotten ahold of the girls and brought them into the group. According to the girls it worked great and now they were closer than ever. Now all the boys had to do is see if it would work for them. The notes said they had to be alone at midnight on their seventh birthday. They were praying that July 31st was okay, since technically Gary was born August 1st.

 _ **July 31, 1987 Potter Manor**_

It was close to midnight and Harry and Gary were standing in a clearing behind the house. It was as far away from their parents as they could get, yet still be inside the wards. It was the last secret they would keep, but they understood that this one was harmless.

It was cool, in the waning summer's air as a breeze picked up. They shivered as they looked over the preparations to make sure they got everything right. They had drawn a circle of salt to keep all the magic inside so their parents wouldn't hear or feel anything. There was a smaller circle inside for the ritual itself. The candles were all set up and all the marking were in place. The candles marked four directions on the boundaries of the circle. There were small marking just off the middle of the circle, where the boys would kneel. There was a ritual dagger in the middle, ready and sharp.

They had no idea where this ritual had come from; the Weasley twins didn't know the history of it either. Just that the diary from their uncles said it was very old. It was nothing like all the rituals Gary had read about in the Potter library. It was more like a Wiccan ritual then a wizarding one. Not that wizard used a lot of rituals they mostly just used spells, unless it was something huge. He had looked up similar rituals on the Internet and found that a lot of non-magical people used these. He wondered if it actually worked for them, then shrugged off the thought and got back to what they were doing now.

They glanced at the notes to make sure everything was correct and then nodded as one. They were ready, hopefully.

"It's almost midnight. Do we have everything?" Harry asked his brother, thinking maybe Gary saw something he didn't. He was looking around and gathering up the papers that the breeze had torn form his hands.

"Yeah, the circle is drawn, the candles are ready and the knife is cleansed and sharp," Gary said, helping his brother. There couldn't be anything except the knife and them in the circle. He was just glad they didn't have to be naked; it was far too cold for that.

"Okay, let's get started," the older twin said, placing the papers outside the salt circle and pinning them down with a rock. "It says that first we have to close the circle, and then we should sit in the middle facing each other. Then do the whole bloodletting. We have to do that right at midnight, so we'll just have to listen for the alarm to tell it's time," the older twin said, glad he set that up or they might miss it.

He was a bit worried, this was big. If it worked correctly he would be able to read Gary's mind. But he would do this ritual, because if it helped his brother bounce back from the whole Boy-Who-Lived depressions he got every now and then, then Harry would help. It's what big brothers were for.

Gary was of like mind, he didn't want his brother to know what was going on in his head either. However, he knew that this could save their lives one day, so he would do it as well. That's what little brothers were for.

The Weasley and Patil twins said the mind-reading was not a subconscious thing. They would always know what each other is feeling, but they had to _want_ it to send thoughts to each other, or to read the others mind, kind of like a telephone.

Harry went to the little circle and lit the candles in the order the ritual called for. He started with the north and going clockwise. Gary chanted the secrecy ritual as Harry called the elements of the directions; ice for the North, wind for the East, fire for the South, and earth for the West. When the last candle was lit, which was green for earth, the circle closed with a snap and a flare of bright light.

After clearing their vision, the boys knelt, facing each other, in the middle of the circle.

The older boy had the double sided dagger in his hand resting across his right palm with his left hand on the hilt. The younger boy put his right hand over Harry's making sure the dagger was across his palm as well. They held their hands vertically, so that the blood would drip on the ground as an offering to the elements.

They held their breaths and waited for the alarm went off. They had to do this quickly; the chant was short and to the point. They only had to say three lines, but they had to say it at the same time.

The alarm sounded and Harry pulled the dagger down in one quick motion. As their blood mingled they incanted, " _Let it be known that the blood of Harry and Gary Potter hereby binds these twins forever. We stand united. So mote it be."_

 _There was a large flash of green light, much like the_ _Killing_ _Curse_ _as they leaned together forehead to forehead, hands still clasped, breathing hard, and the dagger on the ground between them. For one second, time stood still and the twins were one._

 _The soul piece in Harry's forehead screamed silently, it was in agony for the love it felt going between the boys. The black piece of magic slowly cleansed and turned a light grey. It was still trapped in the scar, but it would no longer try to influence the child, nor would it show as dark magic on any medical scans. All of this was unknowingly happening as the boys bonded._

 _When time restarted the twins looked at each other and grinned._

 _"That was wicked, and totally worth it," Harry said ecstatically, feeling light and refreshed and he could tell his brother felt the same._

 _"Yeah, I haven't felt this good in a long time. Thanks bro, you're the best," Gary added, equally happy._

 _They started to take down the inner circle counter-clockwise, and with a wave of his hand Harry had all the blood cleared away. They had gotten pretty good at wandless magic. The other Mutineers also knew a little bit of it. Well most of them anyway, there were still a few who were lazy and only interested in sports and didn't want to learn. But since they were still friends, the others just tried to nudge them along. For some it was a wasted effort, nevertheless they kept trying._

Now that the ritual was done and all evidence was cleared, the boys were on their way home to finally get some sleep. They couldn't hear each other yet, but the notes said it would happen overnight while the bond realigned. They were just thankful that the outer circle worked at keeping the magic in and they hadn't woken their parents. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. As they drifted off to sleep they thought about their group of friends.

 **Hphphp**

The next morning, Harry woke up to a voice in his head, _"Harry, Harry, wake up. Can you hear me? You need to wake up to let me know if it worked."_ The older twin sat straight up realizing that was Gary in his head. He let out a whoop and jumped around his room.

"Harry! Did you hear me? Why didn't you answer?" Gary demanded as he grabbed his brother as he ran by. He twirled him around to face him and smiled when he saw Harry's ecstatic face.

" _It worked! Sorry I didn't answer you, but I was just too excited. It worked, Gary, it worked. Now I will always know where you are,"_ Harry thought to his brother as they started jumping up and down. Soon James and Lily came into the room to see what all the noise was about.

"What has you two so excited?" Lily said with a smile, it wasn't often the twins got this enthusiastic about anything.

"Yeah, you're making enough noise to wake the dead," James said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and sharing his wife's smile.

The boys had a quick conference in their head as they settled down and decided to tell part of the truth.

"Well, we woke up this morning…" started Harry with a wicked grin,

"and felt the bond was…" Gary continued with a smirk,

"much stronger than last…"

"night. So we got really…"

"excited and wanted to celebrate..."

"Sorry we woke you," said both twins together.

Lily was overjoyed so she ran and grabbed the boys and started to bounce with them. "Oh, I'm so happy for you boys. I've been hoping this happened before you went to Hogwarts. This is wonderful," she gushed, and then smiled brightly as she came up with an idea. "We should celebrate. Do you guys want to go to the zoo again, since it is Saturday? We haven't been there in years, and we can take as many of the kids from your Mutineers as you can contact, but only those who can bring their parents. I'm not watching a large group of seven year olds with just me, your dad and you uncles. So get dressed, start making Floo calls and see who can come. We'll leave at eleven." She gave them one more hug and started to run out of the room.

"Hey, don't I get any say in this?" James said with a smirk, making Lily stop her flight.

Lily and the twins smirked back and said, "NO."

James' smirk dropped and his shoulders drooped in mock defeat. "I see I'm not wanted." —sniff— "I'll go and call your uncles and tell them what a cruel family I have." —sigh— "Where did I go wrong?" he asked the air, throwing his hands up in pretend dejection.

Lily and the boys looked at each other and tackled James to the floor and started tickling him. After about five minutes they stopped their attack.

"So Dad…" said Gary with a smile.

"can we go…"

"to the zoo? And…"

"will you ask Padfoot…"

"and Moony if they will come?" Gary finished. _"This is fun, but from the look on Dad's face I don't think we should do it too often,"_ he projected to his brother, looking at the slightly devastated look on James face. It was the same look he got when the Weasley twins got started, those two twin-talked all the time, with everyone.

" _Yeah, I think you're right. I also think we should keep it in the family for now. I don't want Dumbledore to know about it. He might think that we are getting too close and step up his need to separate us. We might even have to tone it down in Hogwarts. Not that that meddling old fool had the power, but why give ourselves or our parents the headache. We can't even tell the Mutineers because of the whole twin secret that was in the ritual,"_ Harry thought back to him. _'This is really neat, and I'm glad I can have secluded thoughts to myself,'_ he thought privately.

"Don't worry, Dad, we're not going to be like the Weasley twins. We'll be more like the Patils," Gary said, trying to reassure his father. "We're just so excited we can do this. But since we don't want Dumbledore to know, we won't do it outside of the family. Maybe the Mutineers," he shrugged, "maybe not."

"Good, good, because when those redheaded menaces get started, I get a pain in my neck just trying to follow them. Okay, now that that is out of the way, what say we all get dressed and eat? I'll call your uncles and see what they are doing. You boys split your list and start asking everyone else. Let me know how many and I'll have one of the house elves make a picnic lunch. That way I don't have to go to Gringotts and exchange money," James said as he started to walk away, plans for the day forming in his head. He would have to get together with Lily and see if they were on the same page.

Red hair flew in his face as his wife went sprinting past him. "I've got first shower," she said as she ran by. James gave chase with a wicked grin. Maybe they could share, they had hours to kill.

In the end around ten of their friends could come. It was a last minute thing, so a lot of families had other plans. Fun was had by everyone and Harry stayed out of the Reptile House so he wouldn't laugh at the snakes and make everyone think he had finally lost it. They had the picnic there at the zoo, and stayed until closing.

All in all, it was a good day.


	11. A Group Divided

**Chapter 11 A Group Divided**

 _This is the chapter that has a lot of characters, but it is also when they will be dwindled down. In future chapters the group will get even smaller._

 _Edited on 6/2/16 this one got a mild facelift. I added a short narration to the beginning with a time skip. There were a few grammar corrections and some paragraphs moved. But other than that it generally stayed the same._

 _Someone mentioned that I am exploiting a plot-hole; the whole electricity doesn't work around magic. They had a logic reason as to why that couldn't be so, which I already concluded for myself. However, I would like to say that this is_ _ **fanfiction**_ _on a_ _ **magical universe**_ _._ _ **Logic need not apply**_ _. For this story I am going with canon. Nevertheless, I do thank the person for trying to educate me in what he thinks I should know._

 _Also Wren is a male name, according to the internet. I know it has been used as a female name, but it originally was male._

 _The chocolate frog cards mention I found on Harry Potter Wiki._

 **Hphphp**

The years went by and the Potter twins grew closer. The bond they created was strong and nothing anyone did would ever break it. Because of their closeness, they also firmed their friendships with all of the Mutineers. They still didn't tell their secrets, but they went a long way in making sure that everyone felt included in the group.

Each individual brought something to the table, so to speak, and they all had a great time exploring the world together. Many outings were had in both the magical world and the non. The zoo and the theme parks were the venue for many summertime adventures, though some of the parents protested the cost. The adult Potters took that into advisement, and they suggested that the less fortunate parents have bake sales the month before the venture, or that they provide the picnic lunch, or something that would make them feel like they were contributing. This went along away in solidifying the kids' friendships. The Weasley twins were especially thankful that the Potters didn't make their parents look bad. Too bad the other Weasley kid's didn't feel the same way. Harry and Gary weren't sure what was going on in their heads, but the looks they were getting didn't make them hopeful of lifelong friendship.

The magic and political lessons continued and the kids were now well versed in all their subjects, including some magic. They still only did it wandlessly and only minor things at that. Their shields were weak and could only hold off one or two small hexes. It was a few pranking jinxes that would save their lives, like the tripping jinx of the leglock hex. That and their little kid stature would help them escape as well. They were all thankful for the PE classes in school, it made running easier. While they weren't being taught war tactics per se, they were learning that there were bad people everywhere and they should always be ready to run. Even Ron was happy for those classes as it helped him play football.

It was a fun two years and the tight knit group of kids was having a great summer. They spent a lot of time outdoors playing and just being kids. They were letting the adults handle any issues that came up, though like all kids they eavesdropped on conversations that were held at home.

The boys ninth birthday was coming up and the Potters and uncles felt it was time to test the waters and see who would remain their friend if a little turmoil were thrown into the cauldron.

Sally was against this idea from the beginning. It took a lot of arguing and talking to get the deity to see that it was for the best that the boys had friends they knew they could trust. While, the persona of Death could protect them, she couldn't provide them with the companionship they needed from people their own age. It took a few sessions with the boys to get her to understand that while she looked eight, she was millions of years old and could not relate to them. Finally she caved, but stated she was going to keep an eye on everyone and prevent secrets from being shared.

 ** _July 15, 1989_**

James and Lily were holding a little get-together with the parents and guardians of the Mutineers. They were using the excuse of wanting to go over the report cards, everyone should have received by yesterday, and celebrating good grades. Since they did this every year there was no reason to suspect they had ulterior motives, nothing sinister, just feeling out the true friends. The whole family wanted to see who was going to stand with them against Dumbledore.

While they didn't think that he was a bad person, they did think he had an overwhelming urge to control everything. This was proven by how many times he came by trying to convince the Potters to separate the boys and let him teach Gary to control the power he thought the boy had. It was only when Lily threw a _Castration Curse_ at his shield that he stopped, and that was only a few weeks ago. They were sure that he would convince himself to try again in the future, but for now they had peace.

The Potters were sure that if Albus knew that they were teaching the Mutineers as much wandless magic as they could before they got to Hogwarts that he would come and stop it. Because some of the kids would more than likely be sorted into Slytherin and the Headmaster, for all he spouted school unity, didn't trust Slytherins or anyone not from a purely Light family. He had proved that when he was always the Marauder's side in the disputes they had had at school. Poor Snape was still being blackmailed by the man, and if it had been James there would have been no question as to where he stood. They were still unsure what Albus thoughts on Sirius. He gave the man questioning looks when he thought no one was paying attention. No, they didn't trust the Headmaster.

James and Lily were going to try and get the parents to understand that there were things that needed to happen for the sake of the children. They wanted to have everyone know that the kids wanted to merge into a study group for all houses. They were hoping that they could express how they wanted that to happen and keep the kids from bending to peer pressure. They knew that if the parents were not on board then it would be an uphill battle. But they weren't going to tell every one of their plans. This gathering was to see who they would let know and who would be kept in the dark.

They had done a lot of work with the kids. The children had promised not to do wandless magic at their homes, since it was frowned upon though not illegal. The youngest set of twins' parents was pretty sure that some did anyway. But since no one complained they figure that those parents' were either proud of the fact that their children were doing so well or that it was such a little thing that it wasn't worthy of mentioning. So far no knowledge about the magic their children had learned afterschool had left the core group and they wanted to make sure it stayed that way in Hogwarts. The Potters knew it was going to be hard since parents like the Weasleys were firmly in Dumbledore's court.

The couple was standing in the Floo room, while the boys were in the game room waiting for their friends to join them. The room was bare but for the large fireplace and an equally large shield with the Potter Crest on it. The shield was to let people know they were at the right stop. There was a mat in front of the Floo, which you would remove the soot from the travel, but other than that nothing.

The first family to Floo in was the Weasleys. Molly came through and dusted herself off and waited for her brood. She smiled at Lily and James and turned back to the fireplace to make sure they got there okay. Percy came through with Ginny, followed by Ron, then the twins. They all greeted James with a wave and a 'Hello', and followed Lily.

"Good to see you, Molly. Where is Arthur?" their hostess said as she led everyone to large room they had set up for the adults, leaving James and Tilly the housekeeping elf to wait for the rest of their guests.

"Arthur had to work. He's sorry he couldn't come. Working on a Saturday," the plump redhead huffed as she looked in her overly large handbag for a handkerchief, which she licked and used to get some soot off Ginny's nose, never breaking her step and ignoring the 'Mum, stop'. They continued their journey to the parlor as she tucked the dirty cloth back in her bag. "Honestly, I don't know what they're thinking, making him work the weekends. I'll tell him how everyone is doing when I get home, the poor dear. Goodness knows that man works too hard. You kids settle down. Are the boys in the game room?" Molly said as she sat down on one of the chairs putting her purse in her lap and glaring at her three youngest boys, who were shoving each other playfully.

"Yes, the young ones can join them. We have one of the house elves, Taffy, watching them. She's really good at tending the children. If something happens, she'll come get us right away. You kids know your way. Harry and Gary are already there," Lily addressed the boys and Ginny with an encouraging smile. She knew that Molly was a bit of an overprotective mother, and her children would often try to escape her company.

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter. I'll make sure they get there," Percy said as he headed for the door and motioned the rest to follow.

"Yeah, perfect Percy…" said George, standing straight and pompous, making his older brother stop and glare at him.

"will make sure, we…" said Fred, copying his twin.

"don't get into…"

"trouble," they both said in a dignified voice trying to copy their older brother, noses in the air.

"Leave your brother alone, you two, and just go and play with the others. Behave yourselves or you'll feel the end of my spoon," Molly threatened, wagging her finger at her two most troublesome boys.

"Come on, Ron and Ginny, we know when we are not wanted." The twins grabbed a sibling each and left the room. Percy followed with a sad shake of his head. Sometimes he wondered if the menaces liked being punished.

James came into the room followed by Sarita and Mayur Patil and Gwenog Jones. "Take a seat everyone," he said, waving to all the chairs. They all complied after giving greetings to Lily.

The older Potter turned to his wife and said, "I've sent the kids to the game room from the Floo room, and I have Tilly waiting for everyone else while I get these guys comfortable. I going to go back and wait for the others. I don't think the Longbottoms are going to be able to make it, but we can talk to them on the boys' birthday." He was a bit put out that Padfoot and Remus weren't there today, but they said they were working on the mirrors and map, so he excused them. It was a lot harder updating those items than they thought, but then again, all the added features they wanted needed new spellwork.

"Okay, honey, I'll get everyone settled here," Lily said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a playful nudge towards the door. "You go play host and I'll be a good hostess." She called Taffy and asked that refreshments be provided for the adults and children. Tea and caked for the adults and juice and biscuits for the kids.

Taffy popped away and a large tray materialized a moment later. Lily played mum and served everyone as they came in. Soon enough all of the ladies and a few of the men were settled drinking tea and bragging about their children. After about a half an hour of chit-chat, everyone that was coming settled in the chairs, drink or treat in hand.

This was one of the largest parlors in the mansion. It had quite a few chairs and end tables, there were no coffee tables so all the smaller ones were needed. There was a buffet counter on the far wall where the tea service was set up. For today, they had arranged all the chairs to sit in a circle and put the small tables in front of the chairs. This way everyone could see one another, but be comfortable at the same time. It was supposed to be a casual meeting among parents, and not a business type meeting to bring down Voldemort. Those would happen later, after they stirred the fire a bit.

Mary Abbott, Kestrel McFay, Dee Boot, Rachelle and Kenton Brocklehurst, Wren Corner, Cherry Dunbar, Amelia Bones, Aimee Jameson, and Pandora Lovegood were the rest that come for today's get-together. Most everyone else was working or had other plans. That was okay, because if everything went as planned the Potters would send out letters for another gathering with everyone that was not here, and they would continue until everyone that was for the plan was sorted. They would have a separate meeting for those of like minds. They hated that this might cause a rift between the Mutineers, but needs must. Better to learn who to trust now and not when all eyes were on them.

"Thanks for coming, all of you," James said with a big sappy grin as he stood from his chair to be heard. He got everyone's attention on him as they all fell silent. "There are few things we wanted to talk about, seeing as how our kids are all friends and school mates. I want to continue the yearly tradition of sharing and bragging about report cards. I see everyone brought theirs with. That's lovely. So who wants to start boasting about their children first?" he asked, looking around at all the proud faces.

"Oh, my boys' are doing much better than I thought they would, even the twins. Arthur is so proud and wants to thank you for introducing us to this school and letting him use your computer. I really didn't think it would work as well as it has," Molly stated with such pride in her voice, which was rare when talking about her youngest, except Percy and Ginny. "Those library computers have helped Arthur so much with his job. Though I still think he is working too hard, the poor dear. He doesn't even care that the other departments give him a hard time. He has everyone under him going to the library and looking things up. He has tried to get the Ministry to set up a room like yours, but they won't. You know what the Ministry thinks about Muggles," she said exacerbated, shaking her head.

She had been against the idea of the children going to a Muggle school at the start, but now she was happy Arthur talked her into it. Her babies were learning far more than she could teach them. It would do them well when they get to Hogwarts. With all of the kids out of the house she had plenty of free time. She had taken up selling some of her baked goods, part-time. She was making enough money that her children didn't need to wear secondhand clothes anymore, though she still felt they would be fine with family wands. No need to spend money on something that was already available.

"That's wonderful, Molly. Tell Arthur it's not a problem and we were happy to help," said Lily as she looked around the table to see who else would speak up.

"I've heard nothing but good things about that little group they have going on, the Mutineers, was it? Faye won't quit talking about them, she goes on and on about how much she is enjoying school and having so many friends. She was a little lonely before you came and explained to us what you were doing and asked us to join. I think it's wonderful how they all work together. Her grades are marvelous," Cherry Dunbar said with pride, stroking the piece of paper that showed just how smart her little girl was. "We have a computer room just like yours, only smaller. I can't get Lewin off it that blasted machine. All he wants to do is look at what sport's teams are doing what. He never knew Muggles played so many different games. Sometimes I curse you Potters for getting us into those contraptions," she said with a smile, showing she was just kidding, mostly. Then her face got serious. "I know when we all agreed to send our kids to your home afterschool we said that we wouldn't tell anyone what you were teaching them. However, I feel it is time we tell Dumbledore what the kids are learning so he can adjust the syllabus accordingly."

Amelia Bones, Aimee Jameson and Molly Weasley nodded their head in agreement. The rest of the group snorted, they didn't really like the headmaster and didn't trust him. Mostly because of his politics and his hypocrisy, he would say one thing and then do nothing to further his stand. It was like he really felt that everyone should take his word and just change, but when he saw that didn't happen… he still did nothing. To quite a few people's way of thinking, well he was a hypocrite. A powerful man to be sure, but still…

James and Lily looked at each other. They had discussed this before and since they had only really taught the kids' theory and some minor wandless magic, they decided to let those that wanted to should go ahead tell the man. The plan was to get everyone else together on the sly and talk about teaching the Mutineers more magic in secret, mostly defensive stuff. Nothing like they were teaching their own twins. They had been hoping not to go with plan B, but they knew they were only being optimistic.

Lily nodded her head. "I'm okay with that," she said carefully, not to let what she was truly thinking appear in her voice. "If you feel that he should be told then that's okay by us. We only wanted to make sure our children got along okay, and that they were truly learning in the non-magical school. So now that we know that it worked you can tell whoever you want, its fine by us. Does everyone else agree?" she asked. It was surprising that Amelia was agreeing with telling Dumbledore as she had mentioned in the past that she didn't really trust him. The Potters wondered what had changed her mind. There had to be a story behind that.

"I am not sure that is a good idea," Mayur Patil said with his thick Indian accent, looking around the room to see who agreed and who didn't. "I do not want the kids shunned or taken advantage of by the other first years. Children can be cruel to those who are smarter than their age group. All of the Mutineers have worked hard to get where they are. If others wanted to do that they should have taught their children just like we taught our… well the Potter's taught ours," he stated, waving at the couple. "James told me what they were planning and that he was approaching everyone he knew. He asked us to do the same, which we did. So everyone had their chance to smarten their children," he said, feeling very glad that the Potter's had brought his family into the fold.

His girls were closer than they had ever been before, and he knew he had the Potter boys to thank for that. When they had first come into this country, Dumbledore had had the opportunity to help them. He did not. Now he and his wife were in complete agreement, if the Potters wanted to keep secrets, they would back them anyway they could.

The rest of the parents, besides the four, agreed with Mayur. They didn't want Dumbledore to know about what they had been up too. Lily and James had told everyone that Voldemort _might_ not be dead. The press and the Ministry disagreed with them, but they wanted to give their children every advantage.

The four women that wanted to tell Dumbledore also felt that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named could come back. The Headmaster confirmed that. However, they didn't want their children to think about wars. All of them had lost someone in the last conflict and they wanted to believe that peace would last past their grandchildren.

"No, no, really if you want to tell Dumbledore then that is your right. If you don't, well that is okay too," Wren Corner said, trying to get everyone calm. "I don't think Lily and James are saying that you should keep it secret. They both said if you wanted to then to go ahead, it was others that protested. We only agreed at the beginning because we didn't know if this was going to work and we didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. Really, no one should tell you who to tell and who not to," he said, sending a covert look at all the parents. He had a feeling that there was more going on than what was being said. So he was playing Devil's Advocate, and taking a wait and see approach. "I want to say that Michael has done really well. His grades are wonderful, and I'd like to be able to brag about him." And with that statement he brought the talk back to the original reason for them being there and boasted about his son.

The group broke up after about two hours. The kids were brought from the game room by Taffy, with much noise and complaining. James had slips of paper in his pocket, and while shaking their hands as he said good-bye he palmed them to the people who disagreed with telling Dumbledore. On it was a date that they were going to try and get everyone with like minds together.

 ** _In the game room while the adults were talking_**

Some of the kids were sitting down cross-legged in the middle of the room and enjoying going through their Chocolate Frog Cards. They were have a trading session. If they didn't want one, or had a double, they discarded it in the middle of the circle and whoever wanted it would pick it up. The pictures were frozen as they were in the magic null room.

"So what do you think our parents are talking about?" George said as he threw down Alberic Grunnion, the guy who had invented the Dungbomb. Padma Patil picked it up, but didn't replace it. She didn't have that many, having only just started her collection a year ago.

"Well Mum said they're going to celebrate most of us doing well on our report cards, ya know bragging and stuff. And then they're going talk about if we should get more magic in our afterschool education, ya know potion theory and stuff," Gary said as he looked through his cards and plucked Dymphna Furmage, a witch who got famously abducted by pixies, down in the middle to see if anyone wanted it. He glanced around the room to see how that bit of information went.

"I heard my parents talking last night, and they said that they want to tell Dumbledore what we've been learning. Mum said that if they told him we might get special classes," Faye Dunbar said, leaning forward and picking up Gary's card. She looked at it and decided she wanted it. So she put it in her deck and discarded, Laverne de Montmorency, the witch who invented a large number of Love Potions.

"Not bloody likely," Terry Boot said, shuffling through his cards to see if he had any doubles. "Dad says that he hasn't changed the curriculum in decades. Not even when someone _wants_ to learn ahead. He said when he was reading ahead for the year, he asked if he could get tutoring in Charms. Dumbledore told him that he didn't want people studying ahead, since it would make others feel left behind. So Dad studied during the summer and just didn't tell him about it," he shrugged, not finding any doubles in his pack. He folded his cards together and just watched to see what was discarded. "If we want to keep ahead, we're going to have to keep what we're doing secret. Not sure how we're gonna do that, but with Harry and Gary here, I'm sure they will come up with a plan." He smirked at the leaders of the group and winked. He knew it would all come to a head soon, and he was just trying to move it along.

This caused many of the kids to stop playing and look at the group in the middle of the floor. A few put down their games and came to join the discussion. They wanted to know what the heck was going on with the adults, and if Terry or the Potter twins knew then now was the time to get that information.

"Language, Terry," Susan Bones scolded, putting her cards down in her lap, and looking around the room as it started to get serious. "Auntie says we should tell him anyway, because there is no way we can keep secrets from the Headmaster while in the castle." She didn't tell them the vile words her aunt used when making that statement, but felt that the gang should know where the woman stood, for now.

Harry and Gary looked at each other with a little bit of worry that the plan might not work. If Dumbledore found out they were teaching magic to their friends, he might try harder to keep them apart. They really wanted to teach those that could keep a secret more then what they were learning now. They had confidences they wanted to share and though the group as a whole knew rudimentary _Occlumency,_ they were nowhere near what was needed to keep out Snape, Dumbledore, or worse the Dork Lord.

The dark-haired boys had been taught far more than the other Mutineers. Their family knew that when Voldemort came back they would be in the middle of everything. So after all the other kids when home each school night James, Remus and Sirius taught them up to third year DADA. Then after everyone else went to bed Sally taught them more. They knew if they were going to keep this group together then they would have to teach them how to protect themselves. What they had done so far was make it so they could escape unnoticed, but it someone really wanted to hurt them, well they would be screwed.

"I agree that Dumbledore should be told. I don't know why we didn't tell him in the first place," Percy said, looking down on everyone as he always did. He felt since he was the oldest everyone should just listen to him. He really hated that the younger twins were the leaders, but this was their home, so he guessed it was to be expected. Still, he felt that everyone should pay attention to what he said.

"Mum said that they wanted to make sure everything would work out first. Like other families going to non-magical schools and such. You know how most pure-bloods are, if it's Muggle they want nothing to do with it. Even the Wizengamot tried to stop us from going to school. She said that if they knew we could do the little bit of wandless magic we do, they would try to stop that as well. Sirius says not to worry, because they really have no way of tracing that," Harry said as innocently as he could. He also placed his deck in his lap, hoping that he could get some of the kids to see what the Potters were trying to accomplish.

Daphne Greengrass nodded her head. "I'm surprised my parents agreed with your dad when he came and talked to them. My dad thinks we should keep quiet. He thinks that Dumbledore will try and break us up when we get to Hogwarts. Mostly because some of us will go into Slytherin, and we come from neutral families," she said, ignoring Ron's glare.

For some reason the youngest redheaded male Weasley never liked to think about any of them going into Slytherin. Whenever it was mentioned he would snarl at how ever said it. She also knew the old man looked down on the House of Snakes, and she wanted to keep her friends. She had a feeling that her best friend Tracey would have a hard time in there, because she was a half-blood. Daphne's father and Mr. Davis were teaching them defensive spells at night after they got home.

"Well, it really doesn't matter what we think. Our parents are going to do what they think is best for us. So if your parents think telling Dumbledore is cool then that is what they're going to do," Gary said with a shrug as he picked up his cards and looked through them. "Does anyone have Babayaga or Hengist of Woodcroft? I've got three of Gondoline Oliphant so I'll trade ya," he stated firmly, steering the conversation back to the cards.

He knew what his parents were doing and it wouldn't help to let those who shouldn't know, know. Sometimes he wished Sally were correct insomuch as they should just stay to themselves. Then he looked around the room at all the young faces and smiled. He saw his bother look at Daphne with confusion and wondered what that was all about. He noted the twins sneaking up on Percy and giggled inside. His random views were about the people in this room and what good times they had. No, he wouldn't trade this for the world.

"Oh wicked, I've been looking for Oliphant... I've got two of Babayaga, so I'll trade ya," Ron said, breaking Gary from his thought and holding out his card.

The two boys swapped and the trading went on from there, the conversation stayed mostly on the games they were playing, schoolwork and Quidditch. They spent the next few hours just being kids and letting the adults handle the world. Laughter and mayhem were common place in the game room, and it was a good thing that it was magic null, or accidentally magic would have caused more trouble. The Weasley twins were happy to learn non-magical pranks and had no problem using their friends as bait and targets.

When Taffy told them the parents were getting ready to leave, they all packed up their homework or games, and noisily went to the Floo room. Gary and Harry noticed their dad palming the notes into people's hands and figured there must have been parents that wanted to tell Dumbledore, it was okay they had a plan, sort of.


	12. A Like-Minded Gathering

**Chapter 12 A Like-Minded Gathering**

 _Edited on 6/2/16, this one got a minor facelift, not much changed, hence its shortness._

 _All spells were taken off Harry Potter Wiki._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **August 1, 1989**_

It had taken three such meetings to get the die-hard Dumbledore fans sorted out from the rest. This was the last meeting of the summer and most of the kids would be going back to the non-magical school. Percy and the Weasley twins would be in Hogwarts this year; Percy had started two years ago, the twins will be starting this year. It was the only day they could get everyone together.

James was looking into have their boys sign up for summer tutoring so they didn't fall too far behind in the non-magical studies. He encouraged the other parents to do the same. He figured that those that couldn't afford it could join his kids at the manor. He had no problem with that. He was unsure if he should offer it to Molly and Arthur. He would have to think about it. Just because those families didn't agree with them, didn't mean they were banning them from participating in the activities already in progress, just the new ones. It would all depend on how their children reacted in Hogwarts.

Right now they were working on plans to keep everyone together. This meeting was the start of that and they only had to keep this from six families; the Weasleys, the Bones, the Dunbars, the Jamesons, the Jacksons and the Finnigans. If they did it right then those six would never know anything was amiss.

It was around 3 p.m. and all the adults were in the formal dining room, since it was the largest, and the kids were playing outside. It was the slow time for most of their jobs, so many could get off work early since it was Tuesday. They would have met on Saturday, but too many of them had weekend plans that could not be broken.

Seated around the table were the Davis', the Brocklehursts, the Abbotts, the Mcfays, the Boots, the Corners, the Godfreys, the Greengrasses, the Hopkins, the Jones', the Longbottoms, the Patils, and the Lovegoods. Snacks and drinks were provided and everyone settled.

"So," James said, standing and clapping his hands together, as he looked around the table, "glad you could make it. You all remember Sirius and Remus, right? They don't have any kids in the group, but they know what's going on. Everyone okay with them being here?" he asked, while his two best mates nodded their heads at everyone. Well Sirius took a bow, but then he nodded his head.

"I've no problem if they think they can help," Aric Davis said. He knew that the more people the better. He wanted to protect his daughter anyway he could. Judging from her goals in life she would be one of the few half-bloods in Slytherin. It was a good thing she was learning how to protect herself. She told him all about what they did here, and he was happy to help that along.

Nods were seen all around the table as everyone stated they had no issues with the two men.

"Good, let's get started then. Well, what Lily and I were thinking is to teach the kids further in their _Occlumency_. We've taught them the basic, but wanted your permission before going further, since we would have to enter their minds to test it. _Occlumency_ , for those that don't know, is a way to shield one's mind from intruders, who use the _Legilimency Spell_ , which reads memories. Most everyone needs a wand to do this, but I know Dumbledore takes peeks at the student's minds to keep the trouble makers down, and he simply looks into your eyes. He used it on us, Marauders, all the time when a prank went off," he said as he winked at Sirius and Remus. "Good thing we already knew how to protect ourselves. Too bad that traitor didn't or we would have gotten away with everything. Oh, well," he said with a shrug and got back on topic. "It's in the school charter that the headmaster, or mistress, can do this, if they are able. The only time they can't is when there hasn't been any trouble. I, for one, don't think Dumbledore abuses it, but I want to be on the safe side. That and we have no idea who else can, though Lily thinks Snape," he held back a sneer, "can, but she isn't sure."

The rest of the parents looked around the table at each other; they hadn't known that Dumbledore could read their minds. Some who had had problems in school now realized why they had never gotten away with lying. Well, if it would protect their children from his manipulations they would come up with a way to teach them. They whispered for a few minutes then James drew there attention back to him with a clearing of his throat.

"Dumbledore wants to split up our family, and I wouldn't put it past him to take a peek if he felt it for the best. If he feels it would further his efforts in breaking up this group, well…" James left that hanging and let them make of it what they will. "Anyway, it shouldn't be too hard for the kids to learn since we've been having all the Mutineers do an hour meditation every day after school. Right now we have them learning to clear their mind. All they need to do now is put up some barriers. Anyone have any ideas? We know the basics," he said, pointing at Lily, Remus and Sirius, "but if you know something that has worked for you that you think might help we are all for hearing it," he finished and sat down to let people know he was done. His picked up his cup and grimaced when he sipped cold tea.

"I think I might have a few suggestions," said Wren Corner stated clearly, making everyone look his way. "I've been looking things up on the Internet and researched guided meditations. I wanted to make sure that Michael was getting the best out of it. There are a few that try and organized the mind and from what I know about _Occlumency_ that would be a good start _._ I think we can put it together and get the kids to have a pretty strong barrier before they get to Hogwarts. If you have a pen and paper then I can write stuff down as we talk about it," he said, thinking of all the things he had studied. Once a Ravenclaw always a Ravenclaw. The Internet was a godsend to his busy brain.

Lily called for Tilly and asked for some notebooks and pencils. Tilly popped back in with the requested items and looked around the table to see if everyone had what they needed and seeing that they did popped back out. The redheaded woman walked around the table and put the items in the middle of the table so everyone who wanted one could grab it. She went back to her seat with her own writing utensils.

Wren took a pencil and notebook and started jotting down his idea. Xenophilius and Pandora Lovegood both grabbed a notebook each to do the same. The rest took the notebooks and pencils, but didn't write anything down. They would wait to hear everyone else's idea's before they wrote anything.

"Oh, before I forget we have these two way mirrors," James said, fishing in his pocket and then holding up what looked like a square hand mirror. "They basically work like a cellphone. A cellphone is phone that can be carried around in your pocket so you are never without them. It's pretty new so I'm not surprised you don't know about them," he added at all the confused looks. "But they gave us ideas on how to improve what we already had. With these mirrors the kids will be able to talk to you and each other no matter what house they are sorted in. We'll be giving them to every family in the Mutineers, we just wanted to give these to you guys tonight and show you the security feature that won't be on the other mirrors."

Sirius and Remus picked up a small box each and started handing out the mirrors to the parents, one for each parent and kid.

The werewolf took up the explanation as he went back to his seat. "We used these mirrors when we had detention back in the day. They didn't have all the nifty features they have now, so I think you'll like these better."

"Yeah, we almost got caught— a lot," Sirius grumbled as he put the last mirror down. Then grumbled all the way back to his chair and slouched down.

"Ignore him," his sandy-haired friend said. "Now, if you tap the fourth rune on the back that will silence the call. It is a modified _Muffliato_. There's a notice-me-not charm on the mirror itself, only those who know about the mirror will see them. There is another notice-me-not on the security rune, that way the other parents and children will not see it. I would strongly caution the kids not to use them in the hallways unless it is an emergency. If the staff finds out that the kids have these mirrors they might wind up on the ban-list and we don't want that," he said taking a breath. "We're going to add a pocket to inside the boys' robes with a _Disillusionment Charm_. We suggest you do the same for you kids. The mirrors also have an _Unbreakable Charm_."

Most everyone was picking up the mirrors and examining them. "How does it work?" Sarita Patil wanted to know.

"If you look on the back you will see some runes," Sirius said, perking up now that it was his turn. He grabbed a mirror and flipped it around and showing everyone the four runes on the back. "The first one is to keep the mirror in normal mode. The second to keep it in silence mode. They should use this in class and in the Great Hall, it will make it so if someone calls no one will hear a name called out. Don't worry; the third rune is to see if anyone called while in silence mode. The fourth one is to put it in to security mode. That is the one that will muffle the mirror, it is only on these mirrors, and can't be seen by anyone who doesn't have the same type," he explained, pointing to each rune.

"How are the kids supposed to use them in school and not get caught?" came a question from down the table.

"The kids can duck into an empty classroom between classes to check to see if anyone needs anything. The fourth rune will be what they would use when they are in bed or something," the dogman answered. He was about to put the mirror down when he got a thought, he shook his head and snickered as he said, "Now I know we can tell them not to use them in detention, but I also know that that didn't work for us. So you all can do the parent thing and tell them what you will."

"Like Remus said, ignore him," James chuckled, even though he knew his friend was speaking the truth. "Now, if they want to talk to someone, they only have to say that person's name into the mirror and wait for them to answer. We're still working on a way that they can talk to more than one person at a time."

"Here let me show you," Remus said, picking up a mirror he tapped the first rune. "Grace Davis," he said into the mirror.

The mirrors in front of Grace whispered her name so she picked one up. She could see Remus's name in the mirror. "Ummm, what do I do to answer it?" she asked as she bit her lip.

"Just say the name that shows up in the mirror," the wolfman explained gently.

"Remus Lupin," she said tentatively, holding the glass object like it would break.

"Hi, Grace," Remus said as he waved at her from the mirror. "Okay, now tap the fourth rune."

She did as bid and suddenly no one saw the mirror nor could they hear the conversation. They saw Grace make a motion with her finger and heard Remus say. "To end the calls just say 'done'."

"Done," Grace said and the mirror went blank. "Ohh, this will come in handy. We can always talk to our little girl," she said, getting excited. She hated the thought that her baby would be going away for almost ten months out of the year. Now, she could talk to her nightly.

There were excited whispers around the table as everyone not writing picked up a mirror to look at them. Some trying them out by calling someone at the table. They played around with them for about ten minutes.

"Right," said Wren, getting everyone's attention. "I've got a few things to add for the _Occlumency_. I think the Lovegoods do too. What I've researched on the Internet tells that an impenetrable bubble would be best to use for a shield. It is said they would be harder to break through because they flex. If we add this into the meditation the kids to each night then that should, in theory, give them a good shield before they go to school."

"Sounds good so far," Lily agreed. "What else have you three written?"

Wren looked down at what he had jotted down. "Well, we also might want to add organizing one's mind in there. That helped me a lot, being a Ravenclaw I have a lot of useless knowledge cluttering up my brain, so I used it to clear my head. I have to tell you it helps that racing mind go to sleep."

Others agreed with him on that.

"Who has the softest voice? One that is strong yet comforting. The sites I went to say that that is the best kind of voice to use. If we make up a script and have that person read it. We can use a recording spell on a crystal and play it for the kids every night," Lily asked as she looked around the room. She had done her own research, but wanted everyone's input on how this was to be done.

The adults gathered were looking thoughtful. They knew that the easy answer was Pandora, but she was a bit flighty and they worried that she might be hard-pressed into keeping the script.

"Well," Xenophilius said in a careful tone, tapping his finger to his chin, "can it be a child? The best voice I know among us is Luna's. The only problem I see with that is keeping her on script," he said with a soft smile for his quirky little girl. Not that he had room to talk, but Luna was usually in a world of her own, much like her mother. He shared a look with his lovely wife who just smiled at him.

"Yes, your daughter's voice will be best, but I think in order for this to work we will need a stronger, more adult voice. Maybe Pandora can to it. Her voice is almost as dreamy as Luna's. And I think she will stay on script," Rachelle Brocklehurst said, making a note in her pad. "If she could put a little more softness in her voice I think that it would be perfect."

Everyone conceded the point, say what you will about the Lovegoods they had relaxing voices.

"I would be happy to help keep the Wrackspruts from infecting the children," Pandora said in her smoky voice, looking at everyone with her large blue-grey eyes.

Many people shook their head in amusement; they were quite used to Pandora by now. Being supportive friends they were they all had subscriptions to the Quibbler.

"Are you sure, Pandora? I mean, can you stick to the script?" Lily questioned, voicing everyone's concern.

"Oh, don't fret so; I am sure I can put the children in a meditative state. If you write up what you want me to say then I'll follow it. We," pointing to herself and her husband, "also think that we should add creatures outside and inside the bubble. The children can pick what creature they think will best keep people out. We could say something along the lines of 'Now that you have your bubble, think of the scariest creature you can and have them patrol your mind' or something like that."

Lily gave a slight smile. "That would be lovely Pandora. I'm sure you'll do well," she said sincerely. She loved the Lovegoods, but sometimes their creatures would grate on her scholar like mind. When she first heard of the Nargles and Wrackspruts she looked everywhere for information on them, but other than the family's magazine there was nothing. Now, when they were mentioned it took all the patience that she had not to snap that there was no such thing. Shaking her head over those thoughts she got back into the discussion over the meditation. The adults talked about this for about forty-five minutes and they came up with a workable script.

"Now all we need is a quiet room with some soft music in the background," Dee Boot said after they had a workable script. "I've heard that that is the best type of situation for recording these types of meditations. Do you have a room that is quiet? A music room will work, does the manor have one?" she asked Lily.

Lily thought for a moment, the house was pretty big, but she wanted to make sure that no outside noise was heard and that the room had good acoustics. She looked at James with an arched eyebrow; after all he grew up here.

James thought about it and decided that the room on the top floor in the back would be a good place. It had been a music room before. His mom used it so she wouldn't be disturbed by James when she practiced. The music room was moved to the first floor after his parents died. Both the boys like to play a large variety of instruments. Not that they were very good, but they had fun. "I've got a room in mind, but how are we going to get the music to play there. There is no wireless up there for some strange reason the stations don't come in right."

"Well," Hollis Mcfay said, "you can always record the music to a crystal and then play it back while Pandora records her part."

"That's a great idea. Not sure why I didn't think of it," Lily said, shaking her head. "Recording charms won't work in the game room so we are going to have to find a wireless and see if they have a classical station or soft natural music to record. Why don't I do that while you guys talk about the defensive spells we want to teach the kids," she said as she got up from the table.

"Okay, Lil's we will write it all down so you know what we decided," James said as he warmed his tea and took a sip. He grabbed one of the small cakes and pushed it in his mouth, and then took up one of the pads and started talking to the other parents. They all put their heads together and made up a plan. It would be two years before the kids went to Hogwarts, but they wanted them to be prepared.

After an hour of talking, they decide on: _Expelliarmus,_ whichcauses whatever the enemy's holding to fly away. _Petrificus Totalus_ this is a temporary bind for the victim. _Protego_ is a shield that protects the caster. _Stupefy_ knocks the opponent out. _Finite_ cancels most other spells. _Muffliato_ a spell Snape invented that muffles sound so people can't hear you. The _Jelly-leg Curse,_ whichcauses the victims legs to be jelly like. These would be great additions to the few spells the kids already knew.

They figured that these would be easy to learn and within the children's magical ability. They'd tell the children to use them only if absolutely necessary. Other than that go and get a teacher, walk away or anything but get into a fight. They wanted the children to stay under the radar. They were hoping that _Occlumency_ and this guided meditation would keep the hot-heads from getting into too much trouble.

Lily came back with a good recording on a crystal. She played if for everyone to see if they agreed. They did. Pandora was then shown by a house elf which room to go to for her part. She came back forty minutes later and played her crystal for everyone and they decided that it would work well. James called Tilly and had her go to Diagon Alley and get enough crystals for all the kids so they could record it for them.

Fresh tea was brought in and everyone got comfortable. Some got up and chatted to other parents while they waited. They were all really excited to be working together on a project that would hopefully protect their children.

Tilly came back ten minutes later. Pandora went back to the room and recorded the extra crystals and handed them out when she came back. This took another thirty minutes. The meeting broke up around 8 p.m. and the parents grabbed their kids, who had long since retired to the game room, and went home.

 **Hphphp**

"So," Harry said as he finished up his meal, "how did it go?" The boys had regaled them with their play for the day. They were sitting in the informal dining room and eating a nice dinner of chicken and potatoes. He pushed his plate away and drank the last of his juice. They kept the heavy talk for after the meal. It was late enough that no one wanted afters, and decided they would head to bed.

The twins now had separate rooms, since the bond was a strong as it was going to get. Which was good, since Sally still visited them at night, but now they could talk to her individually and tell her how they felt about things that were private. Like Harry's feeling for Daphne, he was confused, just a few weeks ago he thought girls were icky, now he thought she was cute, hence his muddled state before bed. His brother would just take the Mickey, and his mum would coo, so he was glad he could talk to Sally. Even twins needed someone else to share with.

"It went very well. Thank you for asking," his father said. "We got everyone to agree to not tell anyone. And we've have a small list of spells we'll be teaching all you kids on the weekends, when the other families won't be here. It's too bad that the other parents aren't backing us," James said with a small sigh as he finished his chicken and hummed at the delightful taste. "Go wash up and we'll tell you what we got for you guys. Think of it as a late birthday present."

"Okay, Dad," the boys said as they ran out of the room and up the stairs.

"Quit running," Lily called on reflex.

"Sorry, Mum," they stated, but didn't slow down.

"One of these days one of them is going to fall," she snarled at her tea like it was the liquids fault that boys didn't listen.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, when that day comes you can say, 'I told you so'," James said as he patted her shoulder. She just glared at him for his effort. "Come on, Lily-flower, let's go tuck our boys' in." he stood and took her elbow and escorted her out of the room.

The couple went up the stairs and met the boys outside the bathroom, while they walked to the bedrooms James explained to Harry, "We have a crystal that'll guide you into meditation before you go to sleep at night. It should help you create _Occlumency_ shields and organize your mind better than it already is. We suggest that if you don't know the _Muffliato_ then you learn it for your dorm room." He watched as Lily took Gary to his room to set up the crystal and tell him the same thing.

"We already know it, Dad, but thanks for thinking about us," Harry said with a small smirk and a nudge to his side.

"Brat, get into bed and let me set this up," James said as he put the crystal on the night stand and tucked his oldest into bed. "Good night, son," he said as he kissed him on the head. He tapped the crystal with his wand and soft music started to play. Just before he closed the door he heard Pandora's dreamy voice. He met Lily in the hall and put his arm around her and started for their bedroom. "Let's go to sleep, sweetheart. It's been a long night."

"Hmmm, let's," Lily mumbled into his shoulder as she stumbled tiredly to their room. With that the Potters settled for the night.

The boys listened to that dreamy voice telling them how to shield their mind and making suggestions on how to protect it. They slept well and Sally looked down on Harry first, and then she floated through the wall and watched Gary. She was just happy they were happy and she would do everything in her power to keep them that way.

 **Author's Notes.**

 _ **I just realized I was giving spoilers by putting these at the top. I have no idea why I did that, I usually make sure they are on the bottom. Oh, well, perhaps I'll go back and fix that. Thanks for the reviews, and support.**_

 _Okay, someone said that guided meditation was a form of brainwashing and I am iffy on that. I use guided meditation, because I can't meditate on my own. So, I am bias. I will try and keep it so that Pandora makes suggestions and not demands. That way is nudging and not reforming thinking patterns._

 _I did get a review, ages ago, that said I didn't do my research. That kinda hurt because I never worked so hard on a story as I did this one. Like I said I have tons of notes, but I am human so I missed things. If you feel I missed something important, by all means point it out. But please don't accuse me of not working hard or being lazy, because I did and I wasn't._


	13. The Kids Talk

**Chapter 13 The Kids Talk**

 _Edited on 6/3/16 there was quite a bit that was cleaned up in this one. Reading it over I decided that a lot didn't make much sense. So I improved it, hopefully._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **August 7, 1989**_

It had been a week and everyone in the pro-security group, as they called themselves, gathered to see how the crystals were working. While the parents were again in the formal dining room chatting, while the kids were gathered outside. The adults and the kids that were pro-Dumbledore were not invited that day. They still met with them afterschool since they didn't want to ostracize them, they just didn't tell them about the crystals or spells.

The gang was playing in the back yard to the Potter Manor. It was huge; with sprawling greens that seemed to go on for miles, though the kids were only allowed to go the first set of wind-break trees. The trees were starting to turn, but the grass was still very green. Some of the children were flying their brooms, for those so inclined. The others were running in the tree line. After playing a rounding game of hide-and-go-seek, which was more fun with brooms, the kids gathered in a circle.

"That was great, it is so nice to play outside, too bad we'll be going back to school soon. Not that I don't like school, but I'll miss these fun days" Harry said as they all flopped down on the ground, dropping their broom next to them and all hot and sweating from flying around.

"Taffy," Gary called the unofficial Mutineer elf, "Can we get some juice and biscuits?" he asked her when she popped it.

"Of course, Master Gary," the tiny being said and with a snap of her long fingers, there was glasses and plates in front of everyone.

"Thanks, Taffy," came the chorus response from everyone. They all took up the drinks and treats and started to relax on the warm grass.

"So," the older twin said after they all settled, "how are the crystals working for you guys? I know I wake up calmer and I'm starting to think straighter. Since we don't know anyone who knows _Legilimency_ we can't really test our bubbles."

"Mummy's voice is very soothing, she keeps the Helographs away with just her talking," Luna said in her dreamy, vacant voice, so much like her mothers, her wide grey eyes wandered around the group. "I've added so many interesting creatures in my mind. I'm sure that the Wrackspruts will not be making my mind cloudy, and the added bonus of keeping the Helographs and Nargles away. They all affect your mind you know. I've felt ever so much calmer and my mind is much clearer. I feel that all of you will benefit from these crystals." She looked into the sky and watched things that only she could see.

"Okay, Luna, what's a Helograph?" Harry took the bait, making a few people groan, but to him her explanations were so much fun.

"A Helograph is a tiny creature that, looks like a silver crab, it crawls into your bed at night and whispers facts in your ear making you think too hard to go to sleep. Usually, I drink a cup of nettle tea before bed to keep them away, but this is so much better and I don't have use the loo quite as often," the blonde explained with a great deal of seriousness. She truly believed every word she spoke.

Many of the kids smiled at the eccentric girl. They had long gotten use to her. She was one of the ones that most everyone vowed to protect in Hogwarts. They knew that her quirkiness would cause people to hate her. They already protected her in the non-magical school, where the kids said some pretty hateful things to the little blonde. Sometimes it was a good thing that it was out on the playground when there were no teachers about, because then the older Mutineers could use small bits of magic to make the bullies back off, simple stuff like tripping jinxes.

Ellie Godfrey and Astoria Greengrass were her must fierce protectors since they were in her class. The two girls tried to get Luna to stand up for herself, but she would just wave it off and say it was not the bullies' fault, that they were infected with some bizarre creature or other. They did finally get her to dress more appropriate for the school and less like a flower child. That went a long why in making the snarky girls back off.

The Patil twins squealed at her dreamy expression and hugged her tight. "You are so cute," they said as one and then settled back down.

"I like the line that tells us to treat everyone the same, well suggest, I should say," Padma said with a thoughtful expression, bringing the subject back to the crystals. She took a sip from her glass and held it in her hands while she continued, "I think it is a good idea to have that in our subconscious. We're going to run into some pretty snobbish children. If we keep our cool then we might not make enemies," she looked around and bit her lip. "I know our parents are worried that we will be separated when we get to Hogwarts, but we are very tightly knitted and I'm sure that we won't, at least I hope. I mean, I'm a bit concerned too, but with the organizing of my mind, well I think we will stand up to pretty much anything," she said, keeping her arm around Luna. She was almost positive this quirky girl would be in Ravenclaw, because for all her vacantness, this was one smart young lady. Luna was top of the class, and if they were in the same house she'd watch out for her.

"It was a little weird at first, but after a few nights I got used to it," Terry Boot said with a shrug, throwing a small rock in the air while he talked. When you have a mind that was always thinking it was hard to concentrate on meditation. He was one of the few that didn't pick up on the afternoon meditation very well. It took him months just to clear his mind, but he persevered and now was meditating with the best. When he found out that it would help him remember things better and that it would help him think more clearly it got easier. "Luna's right, her mum's voice is very soothing. I've never fallen asleep so fast and slept so well. I also like the part that helps organize the mind. I've got a library set up and I'm working through all the crap that is in my head. I didn't realize I had so much useless information in there."

"Well," Gary said with a small smirk, like he was going to share a great secret, "Padfoot gave me a bit if information that I think will help a lot of us in the long run. Not only is this setting us up for being great _Occlumens,_ butit is also giving us a path to become _Animagus_." Gasps were heard around the group and everyone broke out in exciting whispers. "But," he said, holding up his hands, "he did warn me that not everyone can do this. So we need to decide if we want to, because some of us will be left out and I don't want to alienate anyone. The last thing we need is to have jealousy in our group." He looked around to see how that bit of knowledge went down. There were thoughtful faces everywhere as the gang assimilated the info and weighed the pros and cons.

"Yeah," Hannah Abbott said sadly, her blonde hair falling in her face as she leaned a little forward to pick morosely at the grass around her. "I already feel bad that Susan isn't part of this particular group, she is my best friend. If we decide to become _Animagus_ then we need to bring the rest of the Mutineers in on it and decide as a full group." Her friendship with Susan was strained. She knew that her best friend wanted to be part of the group that didn't support Dumbledore, but she couldn't go against her aunt.

The two girls had had a talk and Hannah remember how Susan figured out right quick that most of the gang was meeting on weekends without the others. She said she understood that the Headmaster was playing games with the Potters and that family couldn't take the chance of someone telling him their secrets. They had already been betrayed once, so she understood their caution. However, she was just as sad as Hannah that there were now secrets between them. It had been a sad conversation and both girls cried a bit, but it also made them resolve to keep being friends despite this setback.

"I know," Harry said with a small frown, breaking her out of her thoughts. He gave her a small understanding smile and continued, "I feel bad that not everyone is here too. We've all been together for a long time and it is a shame that their parents don't feel the same way ours do, making us split like this. Maybe we can talk to the other kids after we get to Hogwarts and see if we can bring them in without their guardian's knowledge," he said not really holding out hope for Ron and Percy, but he have a good feeling about the Weasley twins and Ginny. The latter having gotten over her crush on the Boy-Who-Lived, even if she was still shy around them.

"That might work," Hannah said, perking up. "Our conversation yesterday makes me believe that that could happen. I mean, she doesn't want to go against her auntie, but doesn't like what Dumbledore is trying to do to you two. She thinks it's wrong. She said that the only reason her auntie is part of the supporters is because he would find out anyway. I think they will both come around soon," she finished, going back over her talks with Susan. Now that she had the support of the gang, well she wasn't as morose.

"I just hope," Megan Jones said with a happy wishful smile, "that we can all still be friends even if they don't come around. I like everyone in this group and I don't like keeping secrets. Maybe we can get the adults to make a different meditation crystal for the pro-Dumbledore people. She could even add a line in theirs like, 'trust your friends' or 'careful who you trust' or something, we can ask the adults. That way they won't feel left out and I know that some of the hot-heads would benefit from them."

"That would have to be worded carefully, because it could be taken as a form of the Imperious. I mean, you could rewire someone's way of thinking. If it were more of a suggestion or a nugget of insight, I think it would be okay," Luna said, making everyone look at her with a bit of awe.

"Right, we'll make sure that the adults understand that too," Harry said, with a quick nod of his head. He wondered if the adults thought of that.

"I wouldn't hold up to much hope for some of those families," Michael Corner reflected sadly as he fiddled with the biscuit in his hand, making it crumble on to his lap. "Some of the kids are too much into sports and not big on learning. They might not want to use the crystals, since it is all about organizing the mind and creating a bubble. It might be too much work for them." He swiped his hands on his pants to rid them of crumbs and continued, "Besides, even with the crystals most the die-hard Dumbledore fans won't be swayed." He held out his hands when the protest started. "I'm not saying we stop being friends with them, after all they are part of the Mutineers. I'm just saying don't hold out hope that they will come to our way of thinking. Everyone here knows that Ron Weasley is a die-hard Gryffindor and that when we're sorted he will more than likely not talk to anyone not sorted into that House. He's also not known to keep his opinion to himself. I don't think he will be part of our group after the first week of school."

"Yeah," Wayne Hopkins said, nodding in agreement. "He'll probably take Finnigan with him. Those two are tighter with each other than they are anyone else in the Mutineers." He smiled fondly and shook his head. "It must be all the sports they bonded over. Poor Ron never knew muggles had so many games. I'm surprised his head didn't explode when he found out about football. I'm like competition as much the next guy, but those two are fanatics. Nice blokes though, I'd hate to lose them." There were sad nods around the group.

"It would have been unrealistic of us to think that we could keep everyone together," Daphne Greengrass said knowingly. She had been on the hateful end of some of Ron's biting comments. "I know we were all hoping that we could, but honestly we knew that wouldn't happen." She glanced slyly at Harry, knowing that he held hope that everyone would rejoin the group.

"Well," Tracey Davis added with a bright smile, trying to cheer everyone up, "even if they pull away from the gang that doesn't mean we still can't be friends with them," she reiterated, wanting to stress that point. Then she got a thoughtful frown. "Now that we have the mirrors we can still organize a way to meet. I think we need to talk to the adults about better security on those. I mean the _Muffliato_ spell is great, but it just shows that you are hiding something. That and I know they are giving them to the others. What if they tell the Headmaster?"

"Yeah," Mandy Brocklehurst said in agreement, "if we are going to try and hide our activities from Dumbledore and the staff than we don't want anyone telling them about our group. Using the mirrors might tip them off. We'll need a way to keep the adults from talking as well."

The group talked about ways to get this accomplished and finally decided to take it to the adults. Smart as they were, they just didn't know enough. The gang got up and wiped off the grass and crumbs from their clothes. Harry and Gary cleaned the mess with a wave of their hands. All the dishes were sent to the kitchen and the food was banished. Then the gang started towards the house to talk to the parents.

Harry saw Sally waving to him out of the corner of his eye and started to slow down. He bent down to give the illusion that something was wrong with his shoe.

"I heard what you guys were talking about," Sally said when the rest of the group was far enough ahead. "I'll tell your mum a spell that will make it so no one will see you use the mirrors, since the other mirrors don't have the security features I don't need to do anything about that. However, I am going to add to the spell so that if anyone leaves the group they won't be able to tell anyone. They will simple explain that the Mutineers are just a study group with no mischievous inclinations. I know your folks and uncles want to market the mirrors, so I can't take that knowledge from them, but I can modify what they know about the rest."

"That would be great," Harry whispered so he wouldn't be heard, retying he shoe and getting up. "If you can do that it would help a lot. We'll still have to talk to the parents though, since no one knows about you. Maybe, after everyone goes home, you can join us in the game room and explain it to the adults. We'll say that Mum can't share it because is Potter family magic," he said thoughtfully, scratching his head. He glanced at the gang that was getting further away. He bent over and fiddled with his laces.

"Yeah," Sally agreed with a cute nod of her head. "Get the family together after everyone leaves and I'll join you," And she gave a small wave and disappeared with a smirk.

" _Gary, don't say anything, but Sally said she can help with keeping everything a secret,"_ Harry projected to his twin. " _We're gonna meet with the parents after everyone leaves. Try and get Padfoot and Moony's attention and tell them to stay. I'll talk to Mum and Dad."_

" _Okay, Harry,"_ Gary sent back. " _I'll do that, thanks for the update."_

By this time Harry had caught up with the group. "What happened? Why did you fall back?" Mandy questioned.

"Oh, ummm" Harry said, with a small stutter. He hated lying to his friends, but Sally was a secret that must be kept. "Well, my shoe came off," he said quickly and with a bright smile, pointing at the offending shoe. "I to stop and fix it, I think I fiddled with the laces when we were talking. Bad habit of mine," he said, willing himself to just shut up.

"Oh, okay," she said with a shrug.

The kids made it to the house and were making their way to the dining room where they knew the parents were. They were quietly talking among themselves discussing ways to bring up their worries without sounding like whiney little kids. As they got to the dining room each kid broke off and went to their respective parents. Hugs and greeting were given and chairs were conjured for the kids to sit. The table expanded by itself, having been spelled that way. Juice and treats appeared up and down the middle, and everyone got settled.

"What's up with you guys?" James said, giving Gary a one armed hug. "Why so serious?" he asked as he noted their faces. They all looked like they had a deep discussion and were stumped as to where to go next. Well, he was more than happy to help them along, and he was sure everyone here at the table felt the same.

"Did something happen?" Lily said, taking Harry by the face and giving him a once over. When she saw that he was fine, she turned her sights to the rest and her eyes roamed over clothing and faces to see if there were any injuries. "No one is hurt are they?" she asked, causing all the parents to examine their children.

"No," Gary said, batting his dad's hand away. "No one is hurt. We just have a few concerns we wanted to talk to you guys about." He sat back in his chair to get away from his dad's inquiring hands.

"Well that's a relief," Rachelle Brocklehurst said, when she finished looking Mandy over. "So, what's up? You kids look like someone took your puppy."

"Well, we were talking about how if we can't bring the other kids into the group, they might tell Dumbledore about us. That might cause strict rules on mirror use, and the Headmaster might find a way to ban them, if he thought we were against him. Then we wouldn't be able to talk to you guys while we were at school," Padma said, settling on her chair next to her dad. She moved the chair closer and leaned on to him.

"We were also talking about how some of the other kids will probably not be part of the Mutineers after first year. Some of them have pretty radical ideas, and we haven't been able to dissuade them," Parvati took up the narration as she cuddled with her mother.

"Yeah," Hannah said sadly, thinking of losing part of the group as she leaned her head on her mum's shoulder. "It makes us sad that we may lose one or two of our friends. But as Daphne pointed out it was unrealistic of us to think we would all stand together. That and we don't want a repeat of what happen to the Marauders," she looked bashfully at Sirius, James and Remus. "No offence. It is said to learn from history though, so it doesn't repeat."

The story of Peter's betrayal was one of the moral tales that the adults told the kids. They wanted to make sure that they looked for the signs of someone pulling away. The Marauders missed all those signs and let a good friend turn bad. They partially blamed themselves for not being a good friend. Not completely, since Peter was an adult when he strayed, but still…

The three men smiled fondly at the shy girl. "None taken," Remus said with a sad look in his eye as he remembered the good time the Marauders had in school. "You're right to think of that. If we had taken history seriously and learned from it, we would have caught on to Peter much sooner. Smart thinking you guys." He reached over and messed up Harry's hair.

"That's actually good thinking," Wren said proudly, glad all the lesson these kids were getting on logical thinking was paying off. "What else has you guys so concerned?"

"Well," Astoria said turning to Mr. Corner. "We were also thinking that you guys could make up some crystals for the rest of the group. Just because they're pro-Dumbledore doesn't mean they should be left out of this. It's not something Dumbledore can control anyway. Just leave out the _Occlumency_ bit and concentrate on the organizing their mind and keeping control bits. And someone suggested adding a phrase in there about trusting friends. That way if we can talk them around, they won't be far behind us." There was a nodding of heads among the children showing they all felt that way.

"That is actually a good idea," Frank Longbottom said. "We could even look into marketing those crystals and the mirror, and set up a vault for future use. If you guys are sure that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is going to come back we'll need funds. War is not cheap and it almost wiped out many families funds just to stay out of it. We lost a bit of fortune in the last conflict and that was mostly with warding. Can you imagine having to pay for troops…?"

"Frank, not now," Alice said, looking pointedly at her son, whose face was scrunched up in thought.

"The marketing and war fund is a wonderful idea, Frank," Xenophilius said with a beaming smile. "Pandora will be more than happy to help. Won't you, my dear?" he asked as he turned to his wife and daughter.

Both female Lovegoods looked vacantly at the far wall and then smiles burst from their lips at the same time. They shared a knowing look and turned those big grey-blue eyes to the people watching them.

"Yes, I think it will be a lovely idea," Pandora said dreamily, Luna nodding at her side. "If Lily and James don't mind, I think we can set it up for me to record next weekend. That will give us some time to work on a script or two. We might want to make more of these crystals to cover many different things, but for now ones for the other children will be beneficial to the rest of the group."

"Oh, wait," Harry said hurriedly, "Luna brought up a good point. You'll need to make sure that everything is suggestive and not demanding. No one wants to be accused of trying to control the populace. I mean, that might wind you in jail," he said, biting his lip in worry.

"Don't worry, son, we've already thought of that. But thanks for the warning," James said with a smile as he reached over and messed up his oldest hair. He got hit for his efforts, but that was okay.

As the adults and kids began to discuss what they would need to do to keep their secrets, Gary made his way over to his dogfather and wolf uncle. "Hey you guys might want to stick around after everyone leaves," he whispered with a wink. "We're gonna talk to our _friend_ ," he said softly and then went back to his chair and started talking with his mum.

The two men nodded to his back, and then joined the rest of the group's discussion. The talk continued for about forty minutes, it was decided that they would all think of ways to up the security and parted for their homes in a flurry of hugs and good-byes.

The Potters and the rest of the Maunders went to the game room to talk more. They had just settled on the couches and chairs when Sally joined them. She told them what she had explained to Harry and the discussed until they finally agreed on how to pull it off, which was the original idea of saying it was Potter family magic. The rest of the night was spent in laughter and games until it was time for bed.

"I'm glad you brought all that up to us," Lily said as the kissed Gary on the head after tucking him in. "it does my heart good to know that you kids think of others. It means that all the stories we told you over the years have done some good." She fussed with the blanket trying to pull it up to his chin.

"Mum, stop," Gary protested with a blush. "I'm getting to old for you to be tucking me in. That and you know Sally will be here in a few minutes for lessons so you are just wasting your time."

Lily frowned at the reminder that Sally was still giving the boys lessons, but they had talked about it before and they all agreed that she would continue. "You will never be too old in my eyes," the red head mother stated as many mothers before her had. "Besides it gives me comfort. Will you really deny me that?" she said with a puppy dog face.

"You are too old to use that face," he whined, trying to stay firm in his resolve not to be tucked in. When those big green eyes got bigger and shinier, he deflated. "Fine, but only until we get to Hogwarts by then I'll be much too old to be babied," he relented as he gave the smug woman a hug and snuggled down into his blankets.

Lily smirked and mused up his hair. She gave him another kiss and said, "Don't forget your crystal after Sally leaves."

"Like Sally would let me," Gary grumbled to himself. "I will, Mum, good night," he said as she was leaving the room.

"Good night, sweetheart, don't let Sally work you too hard," she ordered as she walked out the door. She met her husband in the hall. "Did Harry give you a hard time too?"

"Yeah," James said sheepishly. "I'm pretty sure they set us up. I know when I was this age I felt the same way. My parents didn't let me get away with it either." He smiled sadly remembering the fond times.

"Do you want to go to bed or go back down into the game room and watch a movie?" Lily asked.

"Well, I was hoping for some one on one time with my lovely wife. So why don't we go and see what treasures are to be found in the bedroom," he suggested as he snagged his wife around the waist, he kissed her full on the lips and ignored the 'get a room' that came in stereo from the adjoining doorways. He chuckled and said, "Sounds like a good plan to me, shall we?" he asked as he started down the hall.

"Yes, lets," she purred, and then giggled at the 'ewww' that came from her boys and they went off to enjoy the evening.


	14. Lessons on Power and Death

**Chapter 14 Lessons on Power and Death**

 _Edited on 6/4/16_

 _ **Angst alert— Minor Character Death.**_

 _For those of you who were reading the original, sorry. Like the summary says, I messed up the chapters. The more I tried to fix them the worse they got. So I had to delete the story and now am reposting it. Believe me that was hard, I lost all the reviews and favorites that went with the original. Oh well, sometimes things happen._

 **Hphphp**

The year went by and everything had been going well for the Potters, the Mutineers and their families. The adults had made crystals for everyone they knew. Pandora made sure to keep her voice soft and alluring, her tone was suggestive and invited you to explore the wonders of a well-organized and protected mind. She didn't tell you what to set up for your defense or that you had to have one, only that you could better protect yourself if you let some form for animal stand guard. Some of the mothers bristled at the idea, until they were told that it would improve their children's' grades, and hopefully their temper.

You could see it was even helped the slower people in their group. Ron and Seamus only used them because their mums made them, but you could see the improvement in their thinking, even if it was directed at sports. Everyone's grades were still high and they all slept better. Communication was improved now that everyone had the mirrors. Gossip between the housewives and some of the girls made their day. Sleepovers and parties were easier to organize and dinners went off without a hitch, since the wives could call their husbands to pick something up.

Sirius, Xenophilius and Kestrel Mcfay were working on ways to market the crystals and mirrors. If they became well-known items to Hogwarts teens then hopefully no one could say that the Mutineers thought of themselves as special. It enough of the children and teens had these devices then banning them would be futile.

Kestrel worked in marketing in the non-magical world so she had some insight. She was the one who suggested that they set up a booth in Diagon Alley. Its purpose was to cater to the younger crowd. Sirius was going to finance it and Xeno was going to advertise. Everything should be ready by March, because even with magic paperwork had to be filed and permits had to be given. Bank accounts needed to be set up and loans needed to be finalized.

Sirius, Remus and James worked hard on the mirrors. Not that magic didn't make it easier, but carving those tiny runes was tedious work. They had over a thousand done, but were going to hire a few people to make the rest, if they sold.

Pandora had already made up the crystals and they were stored in the Potter manor for now. Recording the crystals was much easier. They made up quite a few different ones, pulling scripts off the net and adapting them. There were many sessions like, the bubble, the river, success, self-confidence and quite a few more. She wanted to keep them at the Rookery, but there were too many Startlings roaming about and they were worried that the little blighters might steal them.

 _ **January 15, 1990**_

For now, things were quiet and everyone was just settling back in school after the Christmas break. It was still plenty cold out and the kids were all gathered together outside near the playground, bundled up and waiting for the stragglers. They were all huddled together and talking about what had happened during recess.

It had started as a quick game of tag, but it got out of hand and a fight broke out. Harry and the Mutineers had tried to stop it, but there were too many kids involved. In the end, one of the younger students had a busted nose and the teachers were upset that someone got hurt and everyone was questioned. All the students who had been near the area had notes to their parents. As it was they were all a bit mussed and Ron and Ginny were worried that their mum was going to start yelling.

"Don't worry, guys," Harry said, trying to get the concerned look out of his friends' eyes, "the note says that you were trying to help stop the fight."

"Yeah, but you know Mum, she doesn't like it when we rip our clothes in fights," Ron rebutted. "She thinks it's uncivilized."

"Still, you were protecting the little ones from the Nargles," Luna said as she laid her hand on his arm.

"Right," the redhead said, gently removing his arm from her grip. "I'll tell her that." He used to be one of the ones to make fun of Looney, but they threatened to toss him out of the group if he continued, and since he had no other friends, well he could put up with the airhead.

The kids were huddled together waiting for the parents and were still talking about the fight, when there was a sound like a car backfiring in an alley not far from the school. Since most of the adults didn't _Apparate_ in, the boys of the group pushed the girls behind them in case there was trouble. They all let out a sigh of relief when, Xeno came around the corner. Luna broke off from the group and ran to meet him.

"Daddy, why are you here?" she laughed as he took her up in a hug, but the hug was too hard and her Daddy was crying. "Daddy, Daddy, what's wrong?" Luna cried as she held on to her daddy just as tight.

"Luna, my little moonflower, Daddy is so, so sorry. We need to go now. Say goodbye to your friends." Mr. Lovegood's voice was hoarse from crying. Harry could now see the tear tracks on his face. He put his little girl down, but didn't let go of her hand.

Luna turned to her friends her eyes wide and brimming with unshed tear. There were lines of worry on her normally clear face. All Harry could think is **those** lines should never be on **that** face.

"I'm not sure why, but I have to go now. I will see you soon, I hope," she said, still clinging tightly to her father's hand.

Various choruses of 'I hope everything is okay, Luna,' 'Okay, Luna,' and 'See ya, Luna,' echoed around the school playground. Xeno and Luna ducked back in to the alley, and disappeared with a pop. A few more pops were heard and some other parents came to get their kids, the Weasleys and the Bones' were two of them. All of them had sad looks on their faces; none would tell the children what was wrong.

"I wonder what this was all about," Padma inquired worriedly. "It's not like Mr. Lovegood, or the other parents, to come and get their kids like that." She looked around the rest of the group hoping someone had the answers, she only got blank faces and negative shakes of heads. All of the adults looked like they had been crying and now she was worried about her own parents. Someone had to have died, or was seriously injured, to cause this type of reaction from the parents.

"Yeah and Mr. Lovegood looked sadder than everyone else," Parvati agreed with her twin, having the same bad feeling. "I hope it isn't too horrible news." She played nervously with her backpack. The girls were sending encouraging thought to one another, but they were half-hearted at best. The atmosphere was heavy and they all just wanted to know what was going on.

"I don't know," Harry said, taking charge, "let's get to the Manor and see what my folks have to say."

So the remaining gang made their way to Potter Manor discussing school, sports and what could have befallen the Lovegoods. They were met by the Potters, the Marauders, the Greengrasses, the Longbottoms and the Patils. Judging from the drawn looks on all of their faces the kids came to the realization that someone died.

Gary and Harry saw Sally off with a blank look and a nod of her head, she confirmed that fear. With stricken looks on their faces they turned back to the adults.

"Who?" they asked together, fearing for everyone they hadn't seen that day.

"Come inside everyone. I'll get Tilly to make some hot cocoa, and we'll tell you what we know after everyone is warmed up," Lily said as she put her arms around the nearest couple of kids and led the way. The other adults followed suit and soon everyone was in the game room. Book bags were drop unceremoniously at the door and jackets were tossed on the floor. Everyone wanted to know that the bloody hell was going on.

Lily had chosen this room because if the kids got too emotional then there could be accidental magic, but here it wouldn't happen. Beanbag chairs were brought out and placed between the many couches and chairs. Everyone settled in a seat and soon all the kids had cocoa and the adults had tea.

"Well, now that everyone is warmed up, we have some very sad news." Alice took a deep breath as tears started to down her face. She wiped them off, but her voice hitched as she said, "You all know Mrs. Lovegood experimented on spells, right? She was trying a new spell today when it went horribly, horribly wrong." She looked at all the young faces so untouched by death, and tried to figure out how to say the rest.

"Is she going to be okay?" Hannah asked delicately as she looked around the room and saw the tears on the women's faces. Her shoulders slumped and her throat closed as she too started crying.

"No, sweetie, she died before anyone found her," Frank said bluntly, not wanting to give the kids false hope. There were gasps and cries of outright denials from the children. Searching for something that would help ease the shock he said, "We can truly take heart that little Luna wasn't there at the time. If she had not been friends with this group then she wouldn't have attended the school and she would have been home. While there is no true reason to be happy, it will help that she will have all of us to be there in her time of need. Mr. Lovegood too, of course," he said for the benefit of the adults, who all nodded.

"Mum, what do we do to help?" Astoria asked as she swiped at her eyes. She was determined to protect her little friend.

Celeste took her daughter into her arms and considered what to say. She finally decided on, "You know when you're sad and I take you into my arms like this and hold you really close and say silly little things like, 'Shhh, it's alright,' and 'It'll be okay,' ?" she asked as she proceeded to demonstrate. Astoria and a few of the other children who were listening nodded their heads. "Well, the reason people do that and say those things are not for the words. It's because that's what they want to believe with their whole heart. They want to take the pain away, and sometimes you just have to hold really tight and believe really hard that you can make that happen for the person who is hurting."

"So," Lily said, catching everyone's attention, "you just have to be there for her. I want you to just be close to her if you can. Remember a small touch on the arm here, a peck on the cheek there, can go much further than always asking if she okay. We'll do what we can for both of our dear friends. I have to warn you though; people who are grieving can be pretty stubborn about not needing help. I don't want to you push yourselves on them," she hedged; knowing full well if she had to she would push the Lovegoods into accepting help. But, not wanting the children to be in such a position.

"Now," said Sirius, clapping his hands and rubbing them, trying to divert the attention away from the bad news, "we've decided that it's only homework today and no lessons. We want to wait until Luna is back with us, so she doesn't fall behind. Some of you might feel better after some meditation though. But we'll leave the choice up to you."

Harry and Gary looked at each other and had a silent conversation. "Mum, Dad, do you think we could go to our rooms after we do our homework. We won't be long; we just want to find something that will help Luna. We're not sure what, but there might be something there," Gary said, not really lying they would look for something, after they talked to Sally.

"Sure, honey, after your homework," Lily said, wondering what the boys could possibly have in their room for a little girl.

The atmosphere in the room was sad, Sirius, Remus, Frank and James tried to lighten it, but all attempts failed. The kids just sat and did their assignments. Soon enough all the homework was done and the kids splintered off. Some watching the telly, others went on the computers, still others took Sirius' advise and tried to meditate. While everyone was occupied, Harry and Gary slipped away to Harry's room.

"Sally," Harry said, after he closed the door, "can you come here for a minute, please?"

Sally appeared and stood in front of the boys. Her cute little dress was gone and in its place were dark robes that flowed like they were made of ink. Her hair fell straight down her shoulders and she looked far more mature that a six year old little girl should. "I know what you're going to say, and the answer is — it was her time. I won't apologize for this," she said firmly, planting her hands on her hips. "I don't control when people die. I only helped your mum, because of the damned prophecy. Had it not been for that, your mum and dad would have died that night, and you would now be in the control of Dumbledore. I took special notice of you boys, Fate has plans for you and I want to make sure you survive those."

"I don't understand," said Harry extreme confusion showed on his face, along with some guilt, "why are we so special that we get different treatment? What is it about this prophecy that lets you interfere with our lives and not the lives of our friends?"

"You are not the only children I help. And while you are special, I cannot break the rules all the time. There is a reason I have helped your family. You know how I told you that I see a little of the future?" The boys nodded. "If I had let your parents die that night, one or both of you would have turned to the dark path. It would have been vengeance on Dumbledore when you found out what he had done to your lives. Many deaths would have happened before their time. This has happened before in the past, when one, who thinks he knows more than others around him, interferes with someone else's life. I've had to bring someone back to life before, so that path was not followed. Gellert Grindelwald and Tom Riddle are tragic, however, what would have happened if the both of you turned Dark would have been closer to world ending," the little girl deity said and motioned for them to sit on the bed and when they did she continued.

"So there are other kids that might be bad enough to end the world?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head. "And you are helping them like you helped us? How do you know who will turn and who won't?"

Sally started pacing as she does whenever she gets in lecture mode, her bare feet making soft noises on the carpet as those ink-like robes slithered around her. "Each child I help is surrounded by a prophecy," she answered. "Prophecies are only made when something can be stopped. They are made so someone can step in and help change them. Unfortunately, your prophecy was heard by both a Death Eater and Dumbledore. The reason this is bad is because Dumbledore is a very controlling man. He isn't evil or Dark or anything as stupid as that," she said with a very stern look, wanting to make sure this was understood. "He is just a schemer. Had he not tried to gain control of either of you and only done what your parents would have wanted, had they died, then you would have lived a very good life. You would have grown almost as well as you are now. But, we all know that didn't happen, and you are doing much better for it. Plus, remember this prophecy could have been about Neville as well, and if I saw something that would have turned him Dark I would have interfered in his life."

"Oh, okay, well that makes sense I guess," Gary said. "So we are all worked up over the Headmaster for no reason. He's a good guy? I mean, you've already changed the past and he can't control us anymore, right? He is not our enemy?"

She stood in front of the boys again with a very serious look on her face. "No, Dumbledore is not your _greatest_ enemy, though you should remain cautious around him. And Riddle isn't either, for all he will try and kill you. The biggest opponent you have is yourselves. There are three… factions in the world. Dark, Light and Grey. You've seen what happens when either the Light or Dark have too much power. If the Light has too much power then the world falls stagnant. If the Dark had too much power then the world falls —period. That is why there must be balance, the Grey. I, and your parents, have raised you to be Grey, and we are hoping that you will help your friends to be the same. I would never, never tell you to stop liking someone, because they are Light or Dark. Many of your Mutineers are from all Light families, so just to be wary of how much power they actually hold."

"Wait, are you saying that we're too powerful? That we could destroy the world?" Gary asked as if what she said just hit him. He didn't want that kind of power. He wanted to be strong for his family and friends, but at the risk of the rest of the world, well that went against the grain.

"You are powerful" Sally confirmed with a nod of her head. "However, you don't have it in you to destroy the world, not anymore. You have learned to share your power with all those around you. By letting them help you make choices, and you helping them learn to be better people. Your laughter, your tears and your affections… you share it all with your friends and family. You two are some the most kind and caring children I know," the little girl deity said, touching each child on their cheeks. The robes vanished as she took on the role of friend. Her cute dress came back and her hair pulled itself into pigtails.

The changed calmed the boys down, letting them know that their friend was there for them. Sally had never lied to them before, so they will believe her now. "Okay, Sally," they said as the tension left their bodies and they visibly relaxed.

Now that that worry was over she got back the reason they called her in the first place, "Back to what started this discussion, Pandora —it was her time. There was nothing I could do to stop that. I wouldn't even if I could. You have to realize that people you know and love will die one day. Just be there for your friends and loved ones when it happens."

"But, why?" Harry asked with a sad voice.

"Harry, you have to understand that death is a part of life. Sadness is a part of growing up. If everyone lived, the world would have ended centuries ago. There is no way this planet could support an ever growing population," she tried to explain in the simplest terms. There were many spiritual and philosophical debates, but in their grieving states, simple was better.

The boys hung their heads a little. "Sorry, Sally. We didn't mean to accuse you. We just didn't understand." Harry said sheepishly, eyes peeking from under his bangs, blush painted his cheeks.

"I know, and I do understand. The one thing you have to remember about me is —I am not human. I don't feel things the way you do, and when it comes to people dying I am completely apathetic. I do understand that humans are not though. Go back downstairs to your friends, they need you now." She gave each a hug and shooed them away.

They left forgetting they were supposed to be looking for something for Luna. When Lily asked later that night, they told her that the truth and what Sally had said. She was conflicted as to whether or not to be happy it wasn't her or mad that one more thing was taken from her. She finally settled on content that her boys understood.

 **Hphphp**

It had been a long few days as everyone in the group waited for Luna to show back up to school —she never did. They tried calling on the mirrors, the adults tried the Floo, but no one answered. Finally a feed up James marched to the Rookery and all but forced the two Lovegoods back to Potter Manor. It was after he took them by the hands and left their wards, that he _Apparated_ them to his house. He led them into the game room and sat them on one of the couches. His family around him with concern for the grieving family etched on their faces. He called Taffy for warm drinks.

"I know you two want to grieve," he said kindly as he tried to get them to drink some tea, "and we'll let you do that. If you want to be alone, we'll let you do that too. But you are not taking care of yourselves, so you're going to let our house elves take care of you. We have guest rooms on the third floor set up for you as long as you need them. Luna, your classmates have your homework, and that might help you take your mind off things for a little while. Xeno, if you need help with the magazine, there are many of the Mutineers' parents that don't work that will be happy to help you."

"We love you both, and we loved Pandora," Lily said softly, holding tightly onto her own cup and trying to keep the quiver out of her voice. "We just want to help. Both me and James have lost loved ones and we do know some of what you are feeling. The boys love Luna, and they want to help also. Will you let us help?" she pleaded to the two miserable people huddled on the couch.

Luna, who had been scrunched up at the end of the couch looking lost and stricken, looked at two of her male friends, and as if for the first time in days the cloudiness cleared and she saw hope. She held her arms out like a two year old and begged with her face for cuddles. The boys flew across the room and enveloped her in a huge hug that might not ever stop.

Xeno, seeing now what he had been doing to his beloved daughter by keeping her in the Rookery, finally broke. The heartbroken sobs could be heard around the manor. Lily moved to his side and gathered him up. James sat on his other side and rubbed his back. Together the two families grieved and healed.

Later that night James asked the house elves to go and get the Lovegoods' clothing and necessities. She popped away and gathered what was needed. The two blondes were in the same room, Luna on a twin bed, so that they could help each other with nightmares. Pandora's voice could be heard from one of her crystals, which ironically pertained to how to deal with grief. Lily worried that it was too soon for them, but Xeno stated that it was the closure he needed, and he felt it would help Luna as well.

 **Hphphp**

Two weeks later the Lovegoods went back to the Rookery. They were both doing much better and wanted to start with their lives again. Not completely healed, but much better than before.

Now that the grieving was over the Mutineer parents and partners jumped up their schedule in getting the crystals marketed. They pushed through paperwork as fast as they could, and as many crystals that could be made —were. They used the ones that were stored at the Potter manor and made more. The booth was set up and when Pandora's dreaming voice calmed the most excitable wizard, the crystals sold rather well. 20% of the proceeds went to the Lovegoods, 10% split to the partners and the rest went into a vault for futures funds in case of a war.

At the booth, called **Pandora's Box** , a plaque was hung and it read:

 _ **In Memory of our good friend and loved one:**_

 _ **Pandora Lovegood**_

 _ **May she find the Crumpled-Horned Snorkack.**_

 _ **Hphphp**_

 _This one was hard to edit, because I kept crying. So I had to take a break and come back to it. I think I got everything, but if I didn't then let me know._


	15. Issues With Wands

**Chapter 15 Issues With Wands**

 _I won't be adding the edit dates anymore, because of the repost. I added a few scenes at the end, but this filler chapter didn't change much._

 _Thanks again for all of those who are reading this repost. Give me a shout out if you see anything you like or dislike, or something strikes you as odd, or for any reason really. I just like hearing from you guys, if you keep it nice or professional._

 _That being said, I would like to remind you that this is_ _ **fanfiction**_ _, written_ mostly _by_ _ **amateurs**_ _. I am_ _ **not**_ _a professional writer, and if you are looking for that kind of writing… why are you reading a fanfic website? Go and buy books for something of that caliber. Our only pay is the reviews, which is why we ask for them. If a pro's books don't sell, they stop writing. If we don't get good numbers or reviews, we do the same. Or at least stop posting them for your enjoyment and keep them to ourselves for ours._

 _It has come to my attention that I should put up a key_

"Blah" _…_ normal talk

' _Blah' …thoughts_

 _Blah… spells_

'Blah' … _off stage talking_

" _Blah" … twin speak or foreign language, this includes parseltongue._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **August 3, 1991**_

Time went by in a flurry of business, paperwork, and emotions as everyone healed from the loss of one of their own. During that time, the crystals and mirrors sold like hot-cakes. Teens everywhere swarmed the stand and they sold out with in the first month. Padfoot, Prongs and Moony were hard-pressed to keep up with the demands. They finally had to rent a small storefront and hire people to record the crystal and etch the runes on the mirrors. Most of those hired were parents from their group, well, Remus stayed on with them as boss and helper. They kept the name Pandora's Box.

Now it was time for Hogwarts. The kids were ecstatic that they got their letters. Well, most of them. Luna, Ginny and a few others were upset that they couldn't go, but were content that they would still be together in the non-magical school. The older Weasleys promised the younger kids that they would write to them. The Mutineers let them know that they would mirror call them every day. They didn't want them to feel left out.

 _'Today is going to be a nightmare_ ,' Lily thought, as she went over who was coming with them and who wasn't. She knew that all the Weasley kids that were already in school were staying home today and shopping another day as to not overwhelm their mum. And all the kids that weren't going to school this year were doing the same for the same reason. So that left everyone Harry and Gary's age.

At this moment she was wondering if she should contact all the shop owners to warn them of the group's approach. Maybe she would just tell Madam Malkin. The seamstress was the gossip of the Alley, and she would warn the other shops. Thinking this was a good idea, she put it into action.

"Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions," she called into her mirror. She was really happy that the storeowners had purchased them. Not only was there a great profit from them, she hated talking into fire.

"Mrs. Potter, whatever can I do for you?" Madam Malkin asked as her face came over the mirror. She had a pin cushion on her wrist, which was patting her hair, a tape measure around her neck and pins sticking in various places around her hat and lapels, making her look like the seamstress she was.

Lily looked seamstress and held back a small giggle at the woman's frazzled appearance. "I wanted to warn you that we're coming with a large group of first years, in about an hour or so. There will be nineteen all told. Not to mention the parents. We are going to split into smaller groups of five or so, so you shouldn't be overwhelmed, but I wanted to let you know. Sorry, I didn't call before today, but I just…" she trailed off not wanting the woman to know she just now realized that it would be a hardship on the shop owners, "couldn't find the time," she finished lamely.

"Oh my, that is quite a few children to be coming all at once. Thank you, Mrs. Potter," Madam Malkin stated with another pat on her bun. "You are so kind-hearted to let me know. I'll warn the others so they can make sure they are stocked for such a large group. Do tell your husband and his friends that these mirrors are Merlin sent. They make talking to the other shop owners so much easier," she gushed. Now, off you go, let me get to my gossip," the kind old lady said, making shooing motions with her calloused hand.

"See you in an hour or so, Madam," Lily said as she turned off the mirror. She put it away and called the males of the house. "Boys, James, aren't you ready yet? Everyone will be here less than an hour and you haven't eaten," she hollered up the stairs.

"Coming, Mum," came the twin replies. She heard drawers close and fabric being picked up.

"Lily, I can't find my green shirt," James complained from the area of their bedroom.

"Then wear something else or ask one of the house elves where it is, it's not like I do the laundry," she answered her husband, shaking her head in frustration at that man. She turned and went into the kitchen to see if there was breakfast made, there was. Cold cereal, milk, toast and fruit littered the table's center. Now if only her boys would hurry up. She sat at the table and waited. She went over what they were planning in her head. Who was going, who was staying and how they were going to get everything done.

It had taken months of planning to get all the parents to move schedules so that they could go today, and even with that shuffling only the women were going. The men decided they didn't want be shopping with all those females and made plans to be anywhere but Diagon Alley today— cowards. Others needed to find someone to tend the younger siblings. So it finally came down to her and nine other mothers, like she said —a nightmare. She just hoped she had given enough of a warning to the shops.

She could finally hear the men folk coming down the stairs and the fleeting thought of, _'A herd of hippogriffs, is what they are,_ ' filtered quickly through her head. "Finally," the redheaded woman said in exasperation as she came out of the dining room, "you only have about fifty minutes to eat and then get cleaned up."

"Sorry, Mum," the boys said as they made it to the bottom of the staircase.

"I'm going to call Sirius and make sure he's awake," James said as he passed the boys, and he wandered off to his study. "I'll be to breakfast in a minute," he called as he closed the door.

"I want to warn you, I told Madam Malkin we were coming, so expect the press, so make sure you have your caps," she told them as she fussed with Harry's hair. "Not that they'll help. Do you remember what we talked about? Don't give any information away that we don't want given, don't talk to them at all if you can help it. I am going to be telling them that we'll hold a press conference on the first, at the platform," she said as she stood back and checked to make sure her boys were dressed appropriately.

"We know, Mum," they groaned as Harry fixed his hair. Not that it matter since they were going to wear hats, but he was trying to keep the image that they were exactly alike. Their hair was styled exactly the same. They made their bangs fall down their foreheads, covering both sides. This way no one could see the scar. His mum had swept his hair off to the side.

The twins were dressed in the exact same jeans, t-shirts, trainers and caps, which were on their belt hoops. They were carrying matching leather bottomless backpacks to hold their purchases. All the Mutineers had one, the Potters made sure to give them out as Yule gifts last year. And since everyone got one, no one could complain that anyone was getting charity.

"You decide to go as twins today?" she asked with a tilt of her head, it was rare they dressed alike. The bond made them feel each other's feelings, so they decided in order to keep themselves separate beings they wouldn't dress alike. Gary went towards darker colors, while Harry liked greys and medium shades. Unlike the Weasley twins, those two thrived on the whole 'two as one' deal. The Patil twins were as different as dusk and dawn, not really that different, but enough that they could be in separate houses when they were sorted. These two might be separated at Hogwarts, as well.

"Yeah, we're hoping that with our hats, we can fool the press. That way they won't just hound Gary. We warned the group we were going to be doing this. So whoever splits off with one of us will know that there might be harassment," Harry explained as he sat at the table and grabbed a bowl, making some cereal and milk.

"Yeah," Gary said as he too poured himself a bowl. "We want to make sure they can't tell us apart."

James came in from calling his mate, dressed in casual pants and a button up shirt with his golf shoes on. He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek, sat next to her and poured some tea. "Sirius will be here soon," he told her. Then he turned to his sons and said, "That is actually a really good plan, but how will your friends tell you apart? I mean, I assume you are keeping your hair down to hide your scars." the father asked sipping his tea, looking over what was still on the table and wondering if he should fill up or eat light. Austin Godfrey was taking a bunch of the men golfing in non-magical London. So he wanted to be sure that he wouldn't be weighed down by eating too much, on the other hand it was a lot of walking. "Do you guys have enough money, or are you going to the bank?" he asked putting some fruit on his plate, deciding to go light.

"Well, we told them ages ago how to tell us apart. What? Don't you know by now?" Gary replied with a smirk. He knew his father knew who was who when they wore their hair down. Mum did, but Dad, not so much. It was an ongoing game the twins played with their dad and uncles. The men would make a big deal out of pulling up the hair just to see the scars, just for laughs. Though, the boys were sure that Remus knew and just played along.

"Why don't you ever tell me?" James asked in mock despair as he looked at the ceiling. He really enjoyed the game, which is why he never really bothered to learn the differences between the boys' faces, which, besides their scars, were a spattering of faded freckles across Gary's nose. Being dark haired boys, they didn't freckle much, but there were some there nonetheless. Harry had a few, but not as many as his brother. There were other ways, but the boys would have to be shirtless for anyone to see the childhood scars, like the one Harry got from falling off his broom, or the one that Gary got from a stray dog. They were on the back and stomach respectively.

"You know you love it," Harry teased with the same smirk his brother sported. "And yes we have enough money; we've been saving our allowance just for this day." He pushed his empty bowl away and started going through his bag to make sure he had everything. Gary soon was doing the same.

 **Hphphp**

Forty-five minutes later everyone was gathered in the Floo room to greet all the kids and parents. The men, being the cowards they are, left immediately so they weren't roped into shopping. At ten, all the eleven year old Mutineers and parents were ready to go. They had split up in groups; boys and girls separated, with two to three parents for each group. They consisted of:

 **Group 1** : Harry, Terry, Seamus, Neville with Lily and Kiera Finnigan as chaperones.

 **Group 2** : Gary, Mike, Ron, Wayne. Molly Weasley and Desiree Corner.

 **Group 3** : Hannah, Fay, Daphne, Padma, Leanne. Faye Abbott and Sarita Patil and Cherry Dunbar.

 **Group 4** : Alice, Mandy, Tracey, Megan, Parvati. Rachelle Brocklehurst and Gwenog Jones.

They all went to the Leaky Cauldron first and gathered around a few tables they pushed together to make last minute plans. Tea and juice was abundant as they took what was probably going to be the last relaxing moment of the day.

"Okay, let's have a raise of hands as to who needs to go to the bank," Cherry said, raising her own hand. A quick count of hands showed that only two of the groups needed to get money. So it was decided that Group 1 would go to Ollivander's first. Group 2 and 3 would go to Gringotts, leaving Group 4 to go to Flourish and Blotts. Each party would work their way around the Alley from there, taking at the most one hour for each store, or they'd be here when the shops opened the next morning.

They all gathered at the wall behind the pub and put Harry and Gary in the middle of the group. Lily had warned them there might be a crowd and the press. Some of the parents complained that she shouldn't have warned the shopkeepers, while others commended her on her smart thinking. They knew that if they were the ones working in the Alley, they would have wanted to be told.

Lily took a big breath and tapped the bricks opening the wall. They were correct; there was a large cluster of people just hanging around the entrance. But after the many times Lily had lost her temper in the past, the spectators simply watched, shouted 'Thank you' to the Gary and then went on their way. On the other hand, the reporters surged forward, pushing people out of their way and shouting questions at the boys. The hats and form of dress worked. They had no clue as to which one was their target, so both boys were being bombarded with questions.

The parents tried to keep the kids behind them. "Back off, you idiots," Faye snapped as one jostled Hannah. "If you hurt my child, they will not find your body," she snarled as she pulled three of the girls back away from the vultures. The said man backed quickly away from the irate mother.

Lily let off a bang from her wand and yelled to be heard, not bothering with the _Sonorus_ , because she didn't want the entire Alley to know what she had to say. "We will not be answering any questions today," she said, ignoring the yells of complaints. "If you come to Kings Cross on the first of September, _inside the barrier_ ," she stressed, "we will hold a press conference then. Know this; if you persist today you will not get your answers on that day. We just want the kids to have a fun day of school shopping with their friends. Please, leave us alone today and we will be more than happy to talk to you the day of the conference. Thank you." She stepped back and waited to see what they would do, keeping her eye out for ones they would shun on the first. She didn't care if they thought she was being hard-hearted, she just wanted them to go away.

Almost immediately, most of the reporters dispersed. It was rare that the Potters spoke to the press, and they didn't want to mess up their chances. A few persisted, but when no answers came from the determined looking group, they finally disappeared as well, fading into the crowd hoping to catch the kids talking. Lily kept a special eye on Rita Skeeter; they'd already had issues with her. That woman and her vile quill had pointed out many times that the Potters were recluses and that they were keeping the wizarding hero from the public. Lily had gotten hate mail from those articles, but since they weren't exactly lies, she couldn't sue.

The group spilt up and Harry's group made it to Ollivander's without any problems, laughing and joking all the way. They all speculated as to what their wands would be. Lily and Kiera smiled at the boys and followed closely to make sure no one wandered off. They came to the dreary store. It looked the same as always, rundown and dusty. Lily never understood why Ollivander never cleaned it up. Maybe he felt it made him more mysterious, when it just made him creepy.

"Ah, yes the Potters and friends, of course," came that voice that had scared Lily when she first stepped foot in this shop with Severus oh so many years ago. Today, it made the kids jump, making the mums glare at the shadow the voice came from. Lily really didn't like this man. "Lily Potter, ten and a quarter inches long, unicorn, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work. Has it served you well?" he asked with a tilt of his head as he made his way up front from the shadows where he had been lurking.

"It's a perfect wand," Lily responded with a curt nod. "Now it's time for the children to get theirs. Sorry to cut you short, but we're on a schedule. Lots to do today," she told him, wanting to get out of this shop as fast as possible.

"Yes, Madam Malkin called earlier and warned us all that you would arrive. So who wants go first?" Ollivander asked, looking at the children with his all-seeing eyes. He glanced at Harry like he was prey and that made the children shuffle their feet.

"Let Seamus go first. He's new to all this," Harry said, gently pushing his friend forward. There were two reasons he did this. One, he didn't want Seamus to think that he, Harry, thought he was special. And two, well he wanted to stay away from the weird man as long as possible.

"Step over here, Mr. Finnigan, and we'll get started," the shop owner said, pointing to a spot in front of the counter, making everyone wonder just how he knew Seamus' last name.

The Irish boy was measured with a slightly defiant measuring tape. He only took five tries before his got his oak and dragon heartstring wand.

The other three went before Harry and got their wands, and then it was his turn. He took his place in the same spot as everyone before him. His mum seemed to be keeping a very sharp eye on Mr. Ollivander, making him cautious.

"Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one… Beech-wood and dragon heartstring… Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave," Ollivander encouraged as he thrust the wand into Harry's hand.

Harry took the wand and waved it around a bit, but creepy old man snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —" Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched away. "No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, and try it out."

Harry tried and tried. The pile of useless wands was mounting higher and higher on the dusty countertop, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

The group started groaning, they hadn't expected to be in this shop this long. The kids were starting to ask if they could go outside and wait, and were told 'No,' of course.

"Don't worry, kids, we'll get something nice for you guys. If you are patient," Lily offered the group. So they all settled in various place on the wall around the shop and watched the spectacle of Harry making a mess.

"Are you sure you're looking in the right place, sir?" the weary boy asked as he dropped his tired arm after yet another useless wand was snatched from him.

It was like the man hadn't heard him, as he grabbed yet more wands from the shelves and opened the boxes. Another twenty or so minutes went by, when the shop owner finally paused. "Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

The dark haired boy took the wand, hoping that finally he would get one that worked. He felt a warmth slide into his fingers as it raced down his arm. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through air, causing a few to sneeze, and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

"Finally," came the cries form a few of the kids.

The group whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander said loudly, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well … how curious … how very curious …" He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious … curious …"

"What's curious?" Lily asked, very impatiently. They were all tired; it had taken forty minutes for Harry to get his wand. Many other families had come to the shop and when they saw the large group, they left. Some had come back twice and had glared at the gang for taking so much time. Lily was at her wits end.

Mr. Ollivander fixed her with his pale stare and then turned those eyes to Harry. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave _your brother_ his scar. I was actually holding this one, and another, back for young Gary. It is a mystery as to why it came into your possession."

Harry swallowed not liking where this was going.

"Yes, the brother wand was thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter, perhaps you are predestined to protect your brother from his greatest foe. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great. I cannot wait until your brother comes in, to see what wand would choose him." He turned those eerie eyes to his shelves as if he could pick the right wand for Gary before he set foot in the store.

And with those foreboding words the group paid and quickly left the shop.

 **Hphphp**

The other groups met up with them and Harry and the kids told of the harrowing time they had in the wand shop. He didn't mention the bother wand, just that Ollivander was creepy and it had taken forever to get his wand. They all commiserated and then it was decided to eat lunch and split up again. This time it was Gary's turn to go and get his wand.

"Ah, the other Mr. Potter. I was wondering when you would come. Your brother was just here, tricky customer. Let's see if you are just a finicky," the tall man stated when the group came into the shop.

"Oh, I'm sure that I'll be easy," Gary said, knowing that the only reason his brother had such a hard time was because he _was_ the Boy-Who-Lived. Gary was pretty sure that he would be only few minutes. "Let Ron go first," he suggested, much for the same reasons as his brother.

"Oh, no dear," Molly interrupted, "Ron will be using a family wand," she said as she ran her hand down her son's hair, making the boy in question squirm.

"Mrs. Weasley," Ollivander said sharply. "The wand chooses the wizard. Did you bring the wand in question?" he asked, his eyes cut into her protest.

"Well, no, I… I didn't…" she stuttered. "Who carries extra wands about?" she snapped, trying to get her composure back.

"I would very much like it if you would bring it in so that I may examine that it will work for the child," the wand maker stated firmly.

Ron just stood embarrassed and angry. He glared at Gary like it was the other boy's fault for putting him in the spotlight.

"Very well," Molly sighed as she took Ron to the back of the group.

The other two boys went before Gary and when it was his turn he simply stood and waited. He really hoped that this man didn't make a spectacle out of him.

"Now then, Mr. Potter, let's see if you are as tricky as your brother, shall we?" Ollivander said as he swished his wand and put all the discarded wands back on the shelves. He then grabbed the same wands he had started Harry with and one other.

Gary was right it only took a few wands and he connected to the yew and phoenix feather.

"Curious… curious indeed… That wood is from the same tree as one I sold many years ago. You should ask your brother what I told him. Great things… terrible… but great," the tall man mumbled as he rubbed his chin. "It is also a bit of a thought that both of you obtained phoenix feathers. And while this is not from the same bird, it still shows that you are bonded very closely." He eyes looked at Gary as if they were looking into his soul. He placed the box with the wand on the counter and gesture for the boy to take it.

"Okay," Gary drew out as he picked the box and edged away from the man. He put seven Galleons on the counter. "Well, see ya," he said grabbing Mike's arm and all but running out of the store. He didn't want any more dire predictions coming his way.

The rest of the day was spent in good fun. All the supplies were gathered into the bottomless book bags. The groups met back up at the Leaky Cauldron and everyone had kids without parents came back to the Manor with the Potters and settled in the game room to wait and talk about their day.

 **Hphphp**

Later that night the family sat and discussed the boys' wands.

"So, guys, your mum tells me you got the wands that are brothers to Voldemort's. How do you feel about that, Harry?" James asked his oldest in concern.

"Ollivander was all giddy when that happened," Harry answered with a shudder. "And at first it freaked me out, but Gary calmed me down. He reminded me that his wand has the same wood as Voldemort's. What is it Gary? Yew and phoenix feather?" he asked, receiving a nod in return. "And I know you and mum will be there as well, not to mention Sally."

Right on cue, Sally appeared. "There is only one concern about having these wands. If somehow Voldemort gets his wand back, the wands will not fight against each other. What we need to do is add something extra to the wands to make the feather and the wood not quite the brother wands." She had no idea how the Dork Lord would get his wand since the DMLE had it, but there were sympathizers out there, so it could happen.

"What do you mean, Sally?" Gary asked as he twirled his wand in his hands. Sparks were flying around his arms and Lily reached over and pushed his arm down so he would stop. He gave a small smile to his mum and turned back to his little friend.

"I can turn them into cousins," she said with a perky smile. "That way they will still work for you against Tom. They may even work better, who knows. And when Harry's destiny calls, the wands won't interfere, and all I have to do is add a bit of myself," she explained bouncing in her seat, making her pigtails bob.

Harry thought about it for a minute and shared looks with his family, and at their encouraging looks, he handed his wand to Sally.

"Ohhhh, nice," the little girl deity said as she felt the magic in the wand. She plucked a hair from her head and laid it on the wood. There as a flash of light and the hair was gone. "There now, that should work," she said with a big smile. "It will make these wands different enough they won't clash. It'll also give the boys a boost in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Dark spells would come easier as well," she said with another bounce.

Lily and James shared a look, not sure if that was a good thing or not. Then again, they were raising the boys to know about the Dark Arts, so they could fight them if need be. Still, they were still boys.

Sally did the same to Gary's wand. "All done" she chirped. "These guys are going to be a bit more powerful, what with them being touched by Death, so to speak. You must never tell anyone about that," she warned needlessly.

"We know," the twins moaned together. They were eleven and Sally still treated them like they were stupid.

"I know, you know," she said with a giggle. "It's just so cute when you get affronted," she snickered behind her little hand, and then with a wave and wink, she was gone.

"Let's watch a movie," Lily suggested as she cuddled up to her husband and put her feet on the couch. "I'm knackered."

"Good idea, Lily-flower," said the unreasonably awake man, who hadn't exerted himself with his game of golf.

"I pick," the boys said as they both ran to where the movies were stored.

Soon enough it was time for bed. The Potters ambled up the stairs, feeling better now that they relaxed for a few hours. Sally's improvement of the wands went a long way in helping with that. In a months' time, they would be headed off to Hogwarts, and the boys wanted to get up early and start studying. Not that they needed it, but the books had they studied from before were their parents' old books and maybe there had been changes. They also wanted to make sure they were ahead with potions. Mum had told them how Snape would act, and they weren't going to give him any ammunition. So the two eleven year olds went to bed, making plans for the morrow.

Lily and James snuggled down in their own bed. The redheaded mum was happy the day hadn't been the nightmare she thought it was going to be, brother wands notwithstanding.

 **Hphphp**

 _One of my challenges was taken up. It is called **'A Day in the Life of Madam Pomfrey**_ ' by PokePotterfan93. It is cute, you should give it a read.


	16. The Day Before It All Starts

**Chapter 16 The Day Before It All Starts**

 **Thanks to my beta, alix33, for going over the first draft for me. All mistakes are my own, I read it until my eyes got googly so there are probably a few.**

 _Someone mentioned that Lily was coming off like a young Molly. Hmmm, well that was not my intent, but she will be a bit overprotective. However, after what happened when they were babies can you blame her? I'll tell you a secret; she's a lot like me when I was a young mom. Shhh, don't tell anyone._ _Nevertheless, since that wasn't my intent, I'll keep a look out for it. I don't plan on changing her overprotectiveness, but I certainly don't want her to be a shrew._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **August 31, 1991 5 p.m.**_

The last month went by with lots of training and studying. Now, there was a large Congratulations party for all the kids who were starting Hogwarts. Every family from the Mutineers was there and the back garden was crowded with kids running about and yelling happily. The parents were gathered in groups, either watching the kids or gossiping about their time at Hogwarts. A great time was had by everyone, since no one was left out.

It started around noon was just breaking up. A lot of the pro-security group was staying behind, some left as to not arouse suspicion that there was a separate meeting taking place. Tonight, though, the Potters and some of the others wanted to go over last minute plans with the kids. They made sure that everyone felt welcome to stay, while at the same time giving excuses that they should go home. Molly wanted to stay and help clean up, but Lily pointed to her younger children who were yawning, which made the overbearing mother cluck and gather her chicks and hustle them home.

When the party was over, you could tell the kids had a good time. The lawn was littered with debris from games and food and the house elves were popping in and out cleaning up as they went. There were lights strung up and torches lit, making for a relaxing atmosphere. Chairs were conjured around a roaring fire, that was spelled to not give off heat, but you could cook marshmallows in it.

Everyone that was staying was assembled in a group around said fire. Some were making s'mores, which they saw on the Internet and wanted to try, while others were finishing off the cake that Molly had made. Butterbeer and fizzy drinks were passed around and everyone settled for what was sure to be a serious talk. As soon as they all settled, they got down to business.

"First things first, has everyone finished packing?" Desiree asked, looking at all the children to get a gage on who was paying attention. Most were, but some weren't so she clapped her hands and when all eyes turned to her she asked the question again. There was a chorus of confirmations or denials, causing some parents to shoot looks of approval or disappointment at those who answered. After a few chastisements and some appraisals the group settled back down.

"Oh Merlin, this is good," came the voice of Alice from the dark side of the fire. Someone hushed the s'more eating child. "Sorry," she said, sounding not sorry at all as she licked the chocolate off her fingers and moaned.

"What?" Gary asked as he too ate his melted marshmallow goodness, "They're good." He tried to give a dripping concoction to his mum, but she just smiled and pushed his sticky hand back.

"No," she chuckled, trying not to touch his hand, "you eat that, and I'll stick to non-sticky treats." She conjured up a large bucket of warm soapy water and flannels, and floated them around the fire, but the kids weren't done yet. She shrugged and put the bucket on the ground and waved to it so they knew it was there.

"Your loss," Harry said as he snatched the s'more out of Gary's hand and ignored the protest. The entire assembly of children broke down with laughter. Many more went to the table and picked up the making for the delightful creation. Parents groaned at all the sugar this late at night, but a few also wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Graham Crackers and chocolate, along with marshmallows were passed around and soon everyone who wanted one was poking the fluffy sugary cubes on a stick and roasting them.

"Now that that's sorted, does everyone have their crystals and mirrors?" Frank asked when the laughter died down, and those making the treat settled back by the fire. All the kids nodded or said yes, and the older Longbottom nodded in approval.

"Okay, a few rules," Lily said, ignoring the groans. "While those items are not forbidden, they do now have rules. A letter was sent to each parent listing them. They are actually common sense and pretty easy to follow. First rule, no using the mirrors in class. Second rule, no using the mirrors in detention. Third rule, no using the crystals unless you, or someone you know, can cast a silencing charm on your bed so you don't disturb your roommates," she listed, counting them off on her finger.

"Those aren't hard," Harry said. Then with a thoughtful look on his face added, "But I'll add that in an emergency don't hesitate to use your mirror. Not that I'm saying break the rules," he stated quickly, when many of the adults _looked_ his way, "more like… in case you need help right away. Say there's is an accident in Potions, or something and the professor got hurt. Or you or someone else needs medical attention and you happen to be in detention. Maybe we can suggest to make sure Madam Pomfrey has one for just that purpose, or have one set on the wall of each class," he suggested.

Lily nodded in approval along with the rest of the adults. She would mirror McGonagall tomorrow proposing just that, for just those reasons. Perhaps they should volunteer to donate larger mirrors that can be used by touching or calling a name. There would be a list up and down the side as to who it was for. For Hogwarts only, no outgoing calls. Yeah, they could work that. It would actually be easy, since they wouldn't need to add notice-me-not security.

"Aw, man, you mean we can't use them in History? Or detention? Man, that sucks," complained Wayne, throwing himself back in his chair with a huff arms folding across his chest. He had been looking forward to using them to get out of boring situations.

"Wayne Michael Hopkins," Jeanne snapped, whipping her head around to glare at her son, causing a lot of the kids give off 'Ohhhh' sounds. Everyone knew you were in trouble if your mum used your full name.

Said boy cringed and looked to his mates to help him, most just smirked and shook their heads. Terry decided to step up as he used one of the flannels to wipe his hands. "Mrs. Hopkins, you don't understand, History is taught by a ghost, who should have gone to the great beyond years ago. He simply reads from his old notes, which are not even in the books, in a voice that puts everyone to sleep," he rambled with a shrug as he sent a reassuring smile to his still cowering friend.

"I hate to say it, but the boy is correct," Albert said with a knowledgeable nod. Even he, a Ravenclaw, had had trouble staying awake in that class. "I know you don't understand this, being a non-magical, but that ghost is dead boring, no pun intended. However, I do understand that you don't want your child to break the rules, so here is what I'm going to tell all of you." He looked sharply around to make sure he had all the kids attention, he did. "Don't go to sleep in that class, if you can't stay awake, then read a book from a different subject. If you try and read the history book you will still want to sleep. We don't want to give the staff any reason to take those mirrors away and they might set another ghost on that class to watch for rule breakers."

Sally was sitting listening to them talk, she was making plans for Hogwarts and they had to do with the ghosts. This one might just need her _special_ touch, but she would hold off on that and only look to see who could help.

Jeanne and many of the other parents nodded or voiced their agreement. A look of understanding came across the children's faces, though there were looks of regret mixed in there as well. Wayne hadn't been the only one who wanted to skive off in that class. From what the Weasley twins had told them, it was the perfect class for that. Reluctant nods filtered around the fire as parents firmly _looked_ at their children to make sure they understood the rules.

Sirius, being the ever loving prankster that he is, clapped his hands and got everyone's attention to him. "Now that the boring rules are in place, who wants to have something fun?" he asked in that voice that warned everyone that a prank was about to commence.

A clamor of noise was heard as the children suddenly perked up and a resounding response of 'I do' was all directed towards him in various degrees of excitement.

He pulled out a bundle of folded parchments and started handing them out. "We— Remus, James and I— have been working on these for a while. They took so long because we got caught up in the mirrors and the business, and well, you understand, right? We didn't want to tell anyone in case we didn't get them done before you lot headed off to school. But we did so here you are," he said with a flourish as he fanned out the documents, and then floated one to each kid. "Can anyone tell me what they are?" he asked mischievously.

"I know what this is," Gary answered in awe. "It's the Marauders' Map, I thought you lost yours," he said as he quirked his head to the side in confusion. He had heard his uncles and Dad complain many times that Peter had lost the only Map they had.

'Yeah, but then we realized that we are as smart we were in school, if not smarter. So we got together to make a new and improved version of the Map for you guys. Now, we're not making any more for the others. Well, we might make one for those who, ummm… not defy, but come to our side; maybe, I think that's what I mean," he said, playing with his goatee in thought, then he shook his head to clear it and get back on track. He had learned a while ago not to encourage these kids to mischief while their parents were around. "I don't want you guys to try and get the other kids in trouble with their parents or guardians."

"However," James said, bailing his mate out, "if they come to you and say they don't approve of what the adults think, then get them up to date on _Occlumency_ and then talk to us about this map. This is one thing we will not be selling to the public. So, you lot, make sure you hide yours well and only use it when no one is around," he concluded with a steady look.

"Oookay, so how do we make it work?" Harry asked, already looking at the blank piece of parchment like it was the great treasure it truly was. He had already tried the old password, but the map made fun of him in not so nice word, and it was a good thing that his mum was sharing with Gary. Though judging by the look on her face, maybe that wasn't such a good thing. Harry sent a warning to his brother and Gary quickly folded his map and put it in his lap.

"Well, you know the old password, right?" Remus asked. Harry and Gary nodded, while the rest of the group looked on with eager, excited faces. "We changed it to 'Mutineers stand united' to activate it, to close it the key is 'Unity committed'. It has the same enchantment the older one had. So you guys will be less likely to be blamed, if someone tries to reveal it without the password then it will list our Marauders' names and insult the one who cast the spell. We had to add Wormtail's name on there. Because if we didn't, it would have been too much of a clue that the group is now divided," he said quite proud of the new map.

"Now this map…" James continued, taking Gary's map. Many scrambled to make theirs active, and the older Potter waited until people were looking at the enchanted parchment. "…shows everyone in the castle on the grounds and parts of Hogsmeade, which is a bit more than the old one. If you look you can see all of the tunnels and hidden rooms that we know about." He held the map up and showed everyone some with his finger. "You can add any others you find by standing in said room saying, 'Room acquired', or tunnel as the case may be, and it'll show on your map and the others."

"The other feature is the color coding," Sirius said, "it'll show all your friends in green, red for your enemies, and tan for those that are unsure of you or neutral, and purple the professors and staff. Now if you see a bright yellow name, stay away that is an _Animagus_ , unless it's McGonagall. With Peter still out there we didn't want to take the chance of him sneaking up on you," he warned his boys and the rest of the group. "You will see his name, but you'll see the color first, so if you see yellow check to make sure it isn't Minnie, if it is not, call us right away."

"Right now," Remus said, pointing to the names of the old men sleeping in the castle, "Dumbledore is purple with a very reddish shade of tan for an outline, while Filch is just purple. What that means is, while we know the Headmaster's plans, he feels that he is honestly doing the right thing. And while Filch is a right bastard, he is just that a bastard, oh and staff," he added, causing chuckling to fill the air.

"Language," came the female voice from the other side of the fire, while Lily smacked his head.

"Call us on the mirrors, if you see red or bright yellow," James took up the warning, and drawing attention to him, "and we'll try to find a way to get into the castle and capture them. You lot are to stay out of it. I know you've studied hard and think you can take care of yourselves, but you are still children. Let the adults handle it. If you by chance befriend a professor you can tell them, or even if you absolutely have to—tell Snape," he added reluctantly, shuddering.

As much as the men in this group and Snape had come to an agreement, they were still loath to trust the man. But Lily was friends with him; she had even given him one of the secure mirrors, much to their displeasure.

Confirmations were heard as all the kids agreed, and most yawned. It was getting late and the kids needed to get to bed soon. So after examining the map for a while longer, the rest of the party broke up and the sleepy Mutineers and parents went home. James and Remus doused the fire, while Sirius and Lily banished the seats. The house elves came and got the remaining food. The boys put out the torches and lights. Then the Potters, Sirius and Remus went into the game room for one last bit of instruction. Sally joined them. As they all settled on sofas and chairs, they started talking about the next day's plans.

"I know you said you were going to think about it, but the time has come. What House did you decide to be in?" Lily asked as she tucked her feet under her and leaned her head on James' shoulder. They had been talking about it for months, giving reasons for one House or the other. The boys were undecided; because all of their friends would be separated into other Houses, and they couldn't pick who they wanted to be with the most.

Most of the children in this group could get into any house they wanted, and at one point they wanted to stay together. However, it had been decided among the parents that that would be a disaster waiting to happen. There were tantrums of wanting to stay with friends and that it would be easier to have secret meeting and many well-reasoned arguments. However, it would upset the balance of the student body if suddenly nineteen students were sorted into the same House, like the kids wanted. It took many hours of lecturing and arguing to get them to see reason. The bottom line was that it would just draw too much unneeded attention.

Harry answered first, "Well, I decided to try for Ravenclaw. If I go to Slytherin, which is where I wanted to go, there would be a hassle, and as much as I disapprove of the public's opinion on that, it would be too much. That and it'd give Dumbledore ammunition to try and separate me and Gary, again. All he would have to do is play the Dark Wizard card. Plus, if Gary goes where I'm sure he's going, then his housemates would do the same, especially if Ron goes there as well." He slumped in his chair, hating to even think about peoples' views on Slytherins. Who would peg eleven year olds as evil just because a barmy old hat thought they were ambitious and cunning? That type of thinking made him mad.

Gary nodded his head in agreement and said, "Yeah, I'm going to push for Gryffindor, for much the same reasons. I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to get out of my 'duty', so to speak. I mean, we've tried for years to get them to listen to us, but they are just plain pig-headed, if you ask me. I mean, who better to know what happened that night but us. It is unreasonable for them to take the word of people who weren't even there over us." He shook his head at that and then continued, "If I go into any other House then the press will have a field day. I'm glad you told us that we can influence the hat, Uncle Sirius, or we would be scared out of our minds about the sorting."

"Not a problem, kiddo," the dogman beamed at his godson.

"I know that it hurts bow down to others' opinions. But we don't want to have to fight off the public, so I think you boys made the right choices," James said proudly, hugging his wife close as she nodded in his shoulder. He knew the boys were smart and fiercely loyal to most of the Mutineers.

"I want you to remember," Sally said in her cute little girl voice. It was sometimes hard to believe that she was the most powerful person in the room, with her adorable face and doll like dresses, "I'll be with at least one of you at all times. I'll probably split half a class time between you. So if one of you is in History and the other is in Potions, then I will spend the first half with Gary and the second half with Harry," she explained with cute little bounce and perky smile.

"Okay, Sally," the boys said, knowing that she was going to be there was a great relief. They knew before, but hearing it now, well…

"One last warning," she said, firming her face, "I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I **cannot** interfere with the living, barring small spells, like notice-me-nots and sleeping spells, but stopping enemies, well, that would be up to you or your parents."

"We understand," the twins said, sharing a look with their parents, who nodded sharply.

"So, I'll only be there for moral support, training and advice. If I see you starting to lose control then I'll try to calm you—that's it. If you start or finish a fight, it is all up to you. I'll try to talk you down, but the choice is yours. I want to make sure you understand that," she stated determinedly, looking both boys in the eyes, making sure that they knew that their battles were their own.

"We understand," the boys intoned again, with the same nods of their heads, acting like the young twins they were.

"Now that that is settled, was there anything you guys wanted to ask before you go to bed?" Remus said. He was getting tired and wanted to make sure he was up early. The Potters had that press conference in the morning, and he while he was going for moral support, he knew none of them were looking forward to it. "If not then we need to talk about what we are going to tell the press in the morning," he said, putting his thoughts to words.

"That's easy, Gary and I are going to agree with whatever Mum and Dad say," Harry said with a lazy wave of his hand. He too was getting tired and it was his night with Sally, so he wanted to get upstairs as soon as possible, and being tired made training harder. He had thought and looked to Gary first and then Sally and posed the question, "Sally, how are we going to continue to train at school?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past the Headmaster to bug our rooms," Gary added with a disapproving frown. He didn't want to think badly of the man, but from what Sally had told them of the kind of future they would have had, it was kind of hard not to. Harry nodded in agreement and they looked to the embodiment of Death.

"I know it is hard, but for all he is controlling, I doubt he would stoop so low as to invade your privacy. I will keep on the lookout in case I'm wrong," she answered them with a shrug of her shoulder. "As to your training, well I'm going make sure the room is secure and all your bunkmates are asleep, and then sneak you down to the common room or to an empty classroom near your dorm. You have your maps so that will help. Then I'll train you like I do now," she said with a shrug of her tiny shoulders.

After the many blunders the Headmaster had made with this family, there was little Sally could do to convince them that he truly did have the world's best interest at heart, and that he was just going about it wrong. The Potters weren't buying it though; they couldn't see how separating the twins was beneficial to the world. Besides, they had done more to unite people in the last few years then Dumbledore had in all the time he had been in charge.

"Hey, Dad, where is your _Invisibility_ _Cloak_?" Harry asked the question that had been bothering him for some time. That would be very helpful in sneaking through the halls for training.

"Oh, I got that back from Dumbledore ages ago, but I put it in the vault. It will go to you when I've passed on. The only reason I got it in school was because I snuck it from my dad," the older Potter said as he ran a hand through his hair and blushed.

"Oh," came the sad reply. "Can we have it anyway? For emergencies," he added quickly when his mum started to opened her mouth.

"Sure, I'll get it later this week and send it to you," his dad said with a wicked grin, which fell when he noticed his wife's look. "I want to make sure it's spell free," he added in a mock whisper, earning a smack on his arm.

"That's actually a good idea," Sally said, holding up her hands and further delaying Lily's tirade. "It will give the boys an extra advantage," she argued.

"Hey, Sally, did you invent the Deathly Hallows?" Gary asked, sitting up straight. It was a story that had always fascinated him.

"Well…" she hedged just to prolong the answer. Then she giggled and shook her head. "No, there are no such things. Your dad's cloak is just super strong and can hide anyone from anything, barring charms added to it. There is a ring and a wand, but they are not items of mine."

"Darn, I was so hoping to be the Master of Death," Sirius said with a snap of his fingers and a fake sigh.

"Silly dog, no one but the Almighty is my master," the little girl said with a titter. She quickly morphed into her other persona, scaring the bejesus out of the man and then turned back into a little girl.

The boys laughed until they couldn't stop yawning. And further discussions were had on what they were going to tell the press, which really wasn't much, just how happy they were going to be about going to Hogwarts with their friends. The parents would say how proud they were of the schooling all the kids received. And that was pretty much it.

Soon the group dispersed to their own homes or beds, everyone excited and leery about what tomorrow would bring.

 **Hphphp**

 _I added a few scenes to lighten the chapter, and extended some of them to break up the long paragraphs. Someone, when I first posted this, begged that I make a one-shot of all of the Mutineers getting into Hufflepuff. I'm working on it, and when it's done I'll let you know._


	17. A Conference, A Train Ride and A Hunt

**Chapter 17 A Conference, A Train Ride and A Hunt**

 **Thanks to my beta, alix33, for going over this for me. All mistakes are my own.**

 _It was not my original intent to have the press conference take up an entire chapter, but hey muses are funny that way. However, I did combine the chapters, so this one is extra-long. Now I have to remember to change the numbers on the future chapters. If you see them out of sorts, let me know and I'll fix it._

 _Okay, some will see my opinion of Ron as bashing, take it as you will. I'm kinda tired to defending my point of view. So if seeing Ron and a few others in a bad light puts you off, sorry to lose ya._

 _Oh and Augusta is a bit OOC, but not in a bad way._

 _I did that one-shot if you want to take a look at it. It's called_ _ **The Hufflepuff Conspiracy or The Pranking Hat**_ _. It is on my profile. A quick little thing, and my muse it still walkabout, so don't expect much. I put it up yesterday, but got busy._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **September 1, 1991 8 a.m.**_

"Come on, boys, let's get going," James hollered up the stairs.

The boys were still getting dressed. They had decided to go as twins again and were searching for matching wizarding wear. However, their clothes were highly influenced by the non-magical world, so it was difficult for them. Other than their school robes, they could only find dress robes and that was a bit much for the first day of school, press conference or no. Besides they were going through King Cross and couldn't wear robes until they were on the platform.

"Coming, Dad," came the response followed by the sound of running feet. The boys stopped at the top of the stairs, eyebrows raised in inquiry. They were dress in completely neutral colors. Their shoes were dress shoes, matted black. They wore matching grey slacks, white button down shirt, with the same black and white diagonal striped ties, and covered in a business style grey jacket, which matched the slacks. Both sported the same hair style, which was still messy, but styled in such a way that their scars were clearly visible. It was the only way you could tell them apart, unless you got close enough to see the freckles.

They had called all their friends this morning and warned them how they would be attired, so they could match with them. They wanted to present a united front, let the wizarding world know that they had friends that they would stand beside and would stand beside them.

"We decided to go neutral, where we could step into either world and not really be noticed. Did we pull it off?" Gary asked, thinking they had done a pretty good job, but hating that they couldn't wear their jeans and t-shirts.

"Well, I think you guys look adorable," Lily said with a beaming smile, coming up behind James.

"Mum!" the boys exclaimed together, slight blushes painting their cheeks. "That is not what we were going for."

"Don't listen to your mum. You look very handsome and very impersonal. Just what you were going for," James said impressed. "Besides, mums are supposed to talk that way." He shrugged and gestured for the boys to come down and started towards the kitchen. They all trooped to the table, while the trunks were brought down by the house elves and placed near the door.

The Potters ate their breakfast of cheesy eggs and ham, toast and orange juice. They were nervous and excited, with a smidgen of sadness. Lily was sad that her babies were going away for almost ten months, but not as upset as she would have been if they didn't have the mirrors. They discussed trivial things and gave the boys a last few pointers on what to say to the press.

They gathered the trunks and _Flooed_ to the train station around nine. They wanted to be early so they could gather the Mutineers before the press got there. It was when they saw that the press was already on the platform, that Lily realized that she hadn't specified a time. She groaned at this mistake, and then squared her shoulders. She grabbed Harry's hand, and made sure James also had a hold of Gary and marched down the platform.

They took a spot in front of the red Hogwarts Express engine, which would make a good photo background and contrast nicely with the boys' outfits. Lily held up her hands to stop the barrage of questions. "I want to thank you for coming," she started and waited until they stopped asking questions. "Sorry to put you off, but we have some things to take care of. We _will_ talk to you in a half an hour. We're waiting for the boys' friends, so they can greet them. I'm sorry I didn't inform you of a time," she said with a sincere smile, "but we've made plans and would like to follow them through. Please, be patient, we _will_ speak with you before the train leaves. Thank you," she finished and then turned her back to the crowd, ignoring the reporters that didn't leave off. She did note them however, and noticed her men folk doing the same. When the reporters noticed that they were not being answered they did stop shouting questions, reluctantly.

It was only a few minutes later, that other students, their parents/guardians and the Mutineers slowly trickling through the barrier. Most of the gang had decided to dress similar to the twins, with the exception of the Patils, the Weasleys and Susan.

The Patil twins were dressed in traditional India style women's clothes. Brightly colored, long sleeved, multi-patterned flowing tunics with matching scarves, and a long shimmering turquoise skirt to match adorned the girls. They had little velvet matching slippers could be seen peeking from under the skirts.

The Weasley kids wore their regular second-hand clothes, except Percy, who got new clothes for being a prefect. However, they did try for neutral colors of browns and greys.

Susan was dressed in a bright blue knee length, short sleeved, summer dress. She had an apologetic look on her face and made an eye gesture to her aunt, who was dressed in her Auror uniform. The Potters only nodded in understand, they didn't think everyone would be able to dress the way they did.

As the families and the Mutineers formed in a group around the Potters, you could see an almost unbroken sea of greys, black and whites. With the one or two bright spots for contrast, it was quite a sight.

Soon it was time for the conference, and the group turned to the impatient reporters, Potters in front. The colorful crowd of other students and parents looked on, either in interest or jealousy. Most had heard of this group and quite a few kids, who had to stay home and learn, were jealous because they only had a few friends. Parents of these children held looks of disdain; sneers predominate on their face, the Malfoys the most noticeable—' _Muggle schools indeed'_ , was the thought in those minds.

James held up his hand for silence and started, "Thank you so much for being here. We decided that it was time to speak to you, the press. We'll be taking questions from those we have time for. However, we won't get everyone," he said with his public smile, knowing full well that they would ignore the pushy ones.

"If you raise your hand one of us will point at you, then you can ask your question. If it is something we want to answer— we will. However, if it is too personal, we will move on. No romance questions please, the boys are only eleven," Lily said a small smile. "If you shout your questions, you will be ignored. Be warned, we do have a solicitor and he _will_ sue you for slander if you print anything untrue or biased," she advised, cutting a glare to an ugly dress reporter, making everyone turn the woman's way. "Now for your questions," she said, looking brighter than she felt.

Hands flew into the air, you could almost hear the air's displacement as so many came up at the same time. James pointed at his friend Xeno.

"Xenophilius Lovegood, the Quibbler. Tell my readers, Mr. Gary Potter, how it feels to finally be going to a wizarding school like Hogwarts after years of attending a non-magical school?" he asked quill at the ready.

Gary stepped forwards with firm steps, not the least bit nervous. He could feel his friends' and bother's encouragement at his back. "Well, I really enjoyed going to a non-magical school, since it's where I met all the people you see behind me. We're a great group of friends. However, I am overjoyed to be going to the same school as my parents did to learn about magic," he stated as he stood tall and looked directly at Xeno.

"And you, Mr. Harry Potter, do you feel the same?" Xeno asked his pre-arranged questions. He would be the first to ask, and then he would step aside and let the other reporters take over.

"I cannot express just how much me and my brother feel the same way. We are both on the same page, so to speak. Even if we are sorted into different Houses, we'll still be the best of friends," Harry said with a fond look at his younger twin, who looked back with the same expression on his face. "That goes for all these handsome young men and pretty young ladies behind us. We are a very strong group and don't feel that division of Houses should influence us," he concluded, turning with a warm smile and a small bow to the Mutineers.

The group of children behind them clapped and cheered to showing they too feel the same way.

When the noise quieted down, Lily pointed to a rather dully dressed brunette woman.

"Aaliyah Conway, Daily Prophet. Tell me, Mr. James Potter, how do you, and your wife, feel about the children going to Hogwarts?" she asked, a yellow quill taking down everything she said.

"We are so proud of Harry and Gary. They did so well in the non-magical school. They, and their friends, were top of the class, mostly. They excelled in English and Physical Education and they did pretty good in Math and Science as well. We couldn't be prouder, we only hope they can continue being top of their class in Hogwarts," he finished with a mock glare at the two boys, who only smiled back.

Lily was standing with a hand on each of the boys' shoulders, showing she felt the same.

Bulbs flashed in the air at the wonderful family photo opportunity.

The same woman Lily glared at earlier, who was sporting tight blond curls and jeweled glasses, pushed herself to the front of the crowd. She wore a bright green business suit, which was lined with fur. Her matching crocodile handbag slung over her shoulder. Hanging in the air by her side was an acid green quill, which was only a few shades brighter than her outfit, poised over a piece of parchment. "Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet," she said with a fake smile. "Tell me, Mrs. Potter, is it true that you're having an affair with Potions Master Severus Snape?" That question caused an uproar of voices and protests from both crowd of students and parents.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lily asked, confusion showing on her face, making most everyone believe she had no idea what the vulture was talking about.

"After all you were seen with him in Diagon Alley only two weeks ago and it is known that you were once… _close_ friends," the vile woman added with an arched penciled in eyebrow. ' _Revenge was sweet'_ was her thought as she took pleasure in the gossip starting behind her.

"Ms. Skeeter, were you not warned the last time you came around me and my family that anything you say can and will be used against you in a lawsuit?" the now fuming mother snapped.

"So are you denying the allegation?" Skeeter asked, noting what the quill just wrote.

"I am not going to answer anything until you and you poison quill have left," the redhead mum snarled. "You will be hearing from my lawyer. Please, remove yourself from the session, before I have you arrested for violating the restraining order we have against you." Her glare could melt metal, and her family's vicious eyes weren't far behind. The group of parents and children behind them were also glaring at the hated reporter.

Rita Skeeter was the reporter that they had had the major, public lawsuit against when she printed that the Potters were practicing Dark magic, and that is what kept baby Gary from dying. They sued the pants off her, and immediately took out a restraining order so that she was not to come within fifty feet of the Potter family or their friends. It seems this… woman never learned. Perhaps she thinks because she is the Prophet's number one gossip columnist that she can get away with anything. That and she had the new Minister's ear. Little did she know, James had far more influence on the Wizengamot than Cornelius Fudge, even if the weasel-like man had Malfoy's money. The Potter family was well off and he had Sirius backing him.

"Are you afraid to answer a simple question, Mrs. Potter? I mean the public has a right to know, don't you think?" Rita asked, knowing she couldn't report any of this in print, but her question was in front of the public and tongues were already waging. She felt that the damage was done, no matter what this woman answered.

Lily looked around and noted the snide looks on the pure-bloods' faces, so she whipped her wand without hesitation and incanted, "I, Lily Marie Potter, nee Evans, do hereby swear on my life and my magic that I am not having, nor have I ever had, an sex or any romantic relations with anyone other than my husband, James Charles Potter, so mote it be." Since James had been her only lover, she was confident that there was no way this vow would hurt her. " _Lumos_." Her wand tip brightened with a small ball of light, proving what she swore was true, that and the fact that she was still alive. Then she canceled the spell with a " _Nox_ ", and the light went out. The vindicated woman then sent a smug look to the badly dressed reporter and held her head high.

Skeeter's face fell, her quill dropped to the floor. Never in a thousand years would she have thought that such a vow could be made by Lily Evans, who had been one of the most popular girls in school. No other lovers? Ever? It was unheard of. She turned to look at the crowd and saw they were all turning on her and could actual feel her numbers drop—like a stone in a well. It would take some serious damage control to get her readers back.

Rita saw a red robe moving towards her and bolted as Amelia Bones made her way through the crowd toward her. As soon as she got through the barrier, she transformed into beetle form, and saw Madam Bones' very disgruntled face at missing her. She knew she would be hearing from the Potters' lawyer soon and hoped she had enough money to pay the fine. As she flew away the only thing she could think was ' _Well, that didn't work._ '

The questions from the press went on for another half an hour, no more inflammatory ones were asked. It was mostly what the boys felt about such and such products, like the mirrors and crystals, which they proudly told were created by their uncles and Pandora Lovegood, may she rest in peace. Or which broom they felt were the best; the Nimbus. And of course who was their favorite Quidditch team; the Scottish National Quidditch team for Gary and English National Quidditch team for Harry. What their favorite subject had been in the Muggle school; Math for Gary and Science for Harry.

"Thank you for coming, we have to get the boys on the train. If you will excuse us," James said, finally calling a halt and shuffling the boys on to the train.

Since most of the students and parents were outside the train watching the spectacle, they were one of the first on. James and Lily pulled the trunks behind them and led the boys to a car that didn't have compartments, just rows of benches. "You'll get a lot of traffic through here, but this is the only way that your group can stay together," Lily explained at the questioning looks from the twins.

The boys nodded in understanding and watched as their parent put up the luggage. They had both forgone pets for now; they wanted to see where they were sorted first and who they would be rooming with before bringing an animal to the scene. That way if there were predators in their room, they wouldn't get a prey animal. Their parents commended them for such a smart move.

The rest of the Mutineers filtered in, excitedly talking about the conference. They had enjoyed the way the boys brought them up in almost every answer given. That way they didn't feel left out or abandoned by the fame. Most of them knew it would happen that way, but there were still a few that never did get over the jealousy that Gary was a celebrity.

The twins took it in stride. They knew not everyone would feel the same, and as long as those few that felt that way kept it to themselves, they could overlook the small glares. The boys knew they treated everyone the same way, not matter what their status.

The gang settled down for a long train ride. Everyone gathered in groups mostly separated by gender, which is usual for large groups, even ones composed of friends. Gary sat with Seamus, Ron and the Weasley twins and of course their friend Lee Jordan. Lee had brought his tarantula and Ron is deathly afraid of spiders, so soon enough he and Seamus separated from them, all but running to Harry and his group. Harry just clapped him on the back and welcomed him to sit. They talked of a few things they settled on sports.

 **Hphphp**

As the Potter parents watched the children filter onto the train, they got thoughtful on their faces. "Well," James said, turning to his wife after the train departed, "what now?"

"We go hunting," Lily said with a deadly look in her eyes, causing her to look much like the vicious woman she could be.

The two turned to go home and contact the rest of the team they had put together for this hunt. Severus had really come through with the books she needed and Sally's telling of the Horcruxes gave them just what they needed to have a nice long hunt. The only reason they didn't start it sooner was the kids, it was something they would regret as the years went by, but they didn't want to risk the other families finding out they were delving into something so Dark. So they waited until most of the children were at Hogwarts. Now, though, plans were going into action.

 **Hphphp**

The car was getting crowded, as all the Mutineers were gathered in clutches around the seats. Animals were hooting, croaking, or meowing with the displeasure of having to be in carriers. Children were talking, loudly and with excited voices. Each group was discussing different things.

Harry's group was still talking sports, though he did try and change the subject a few times. Finally he went to another crowd of more studious kids and talked classes.

Gary's group was talking about the sorting. All of the Mutineers had been told about the hat, but were sworn to secrecy. They could only tell other first years that it wouldn't hurt. The group was laughing about what the reaction from the staff would be if they had convinced the parents to let them all be sorted into Hufflepuff.

Others were talking about the Houses, or what new friends they could bring into the group during the year. They really wanted to get more muggleborn into the group. They felt if they could unite all the so called 'class of wizards' they would have a better society when they graduated Hogwarts.

Some of the girls, of course, were talking about clothing, or just generally gossiping.

"I miss Luna," Parvati said with a wistful look on her face. "I'm sad she won't be here until next year. I hope, her, Ellie, Astoria and Ginny will be alright in the school. Not to mention poor Spencer, being the only boy," she sighed, she really would miss them.

The rest of the girls in this group nodded, they too would miss the school and their younger friends.

"It'll be alright," Padma said, patting her more emotional twin on the shoulder. "Spencer has some friends in his class and Mr. Lovegood said he would take the kids home in the afternoons so they can still learn. Besides, they all have a mirror, so you can talk to them every night and mother-hen them to death," she said with a smirk, causing Parvati to mock glare at her.

"Brat," Parvati said, clumsily swinging at her sister. Padma just laughed and ducked out of the way.

"I wonder what the adults are going to be doing. The Potters said they couldn't take the younger ones after school anymore. They said that they were going to busy, now that the boys won't be there. The twins' uncles said the same thing. What could be so important that they are bowing out like that?" Alice said with a frown of consideration on her face. She knew the Potters wouldn't let the kids down unless it was something very important, but she hated not being told.

"I don't know," Susan said, shrugging her shoulders. "Auntie thinks they're up to something sinister. I tried to tell her that the Potters weren't like that, but she wasn't listening." Her aunt was very vocal about they were hiding something from her.

Harry was nearby and made a mental note to tell his parents that Amelia Bones was on to them.

Padma shook her head and mouthed 'not now' and gestured to all traffic that was coming through the car. The other girls blushed and nodded and turned their attention back to fashion.

Harry on the other hand was keeping a sharp eye on the crowd. There were a lot of whispers and sly looks thrown Gary's way, making the poor boy blush and glare at the same time. He really hated the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing.

When the crowds got to close Gary's friends circled into a barrier around him. People would soon learn that if they wanted to meet him, they would have to be polite and approach him without star-struck eyes. And if they wanted to talk, it would have to be about normal kids' stuff. All his friends would tell everyone they met that. They were hoping this way more friends would be made and less fan groups.

Of course not all looks thrown Gary's way were of awe and admiration. He got plenty of smugness and scorn from a lot of the pure-bloods. They would come into the car and look around at who the Potters surrounded themselves with. Seeing many kids they didn't know, they would assume that the Boy-Who-Lived friends were not pure-blood, which naturally meant they were blood-traitors or Mudbloods. They were ordered to try and befriend the idiot celebrity, however most decided, after they saw the tight knit group, that it wasn't worth their time. They would try and get him apart from all his friends at school.

For every rule on human behavior there was always one who breaks the mold, in this case it was one Draco Malfoy. He came strutting into the car, wearing a very expensive set of green and silver robes, with his white blond hair slicked back and his loyal bodyguards at his back. He went straight to Gary's group, ignoring those he didn't know, and nodding like a prince to the others.

"I heard that Gary Potter was in this car and looking around at all the Mudbloods and blood-traitors," Draco drawled, disregarding the outcry from the large group around him, "I feel it is my duty to inform him that he needs guidance," he finished a sneer firmly on his lips, as if he was surrounded by disgusting things. He marched up to Gary and held out his hand. "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Snickers broke out from almost everyone; thanks to the Potter game room everyone had watched the Bond movies at one time or another.

This caused the young boy's face to morph into one of confusion, these lower class people shouldn't be laughing at him. They should be looking at him with awe, after all his family was very important. He shook it off for the moment as unimportant. He had a mission to complete, given to him by his father. "I can help you get to know the important people of our society. I know you have hidden away from the public in that…" he paused remembering the uproar of the use of Mudblood earlier and settled for, "…Muggle School and I can introduce you to the right people," he said as he confidently held out his hand.

Cries of protest filled the air, while Gary looked at the hand in front of him. He could feel his friends and brother starting to edge around him in a show of support. He had been told what to do and say if something like this came up. After the stories told by his dad and uncles about what happened with Snape, it was decided that the boys should try and make as few enemies as possible. That way there would be less fighting in the halls and less for Dumbledore to use against the Mutineers. All condescending children were to be treated with a professional manner and not to be turned down flat. It was hopeful they could turn some of these kids away from their parents' way of thinking.

"Draco, was it? I've heard of the Malfoys, and while your family would make great business partners, I feel, at this time, we cannot be friends. Perhaps in a few months that might change, and we can try again, pending on your outlook at that time. However, I will not be friends with someone who feels they can… guide me to making better friends then the ones I already have. Or someone that insults those I care about," the youngest Potter said with a small smile as he shook the upstarts hand in a firm business-like manner.

Draco was confused; his hand had been shaken, no insults were thrown, but his offer of friendship was rejected—for now. His father had not told him what to do in this type of situation. He knew the Potter name was just as big, if not bigger, than the Malfoys and to make an enemy of the family could be detrimental to his father politics. After a moment's pause, he returned the handshake in the same professional way and nodded his head once. "I will look forward to speaking with you in the future then," he said and with one more nod of his head, he turned and walked out of the car. His head held high, discounting the glares of a good part of the Mutineers. His bodyguards trailed behind, one on either side.

All of the kids were told this could happen, that didn't stop Ron and Seamus from protesting, they had no head for politics. They only understood that they had been insulted and that Gary hadn't stood up for them, not catching the subtle insult Gary had laid into Malfoy.

"Stupid Malfoy, I'll bet he goes into Slytherin," Ron muttered at the retreating backs, Seamus nodding in agreement. No matter what anyone told Ron he would never trust anyone who would be sorted into that House or any other than Gryffindor really.

Sad shakes of heads were seen throughout the car. Many went back to what they had been doing, but there were a few that wanted to see what the redhead would say.

"Ron…" Gary started to try and head off the argument he knew was coming.

"What the bloody hell, Gary? Why did you shake that slimes hand? He'll go into Slytherin for sure. Don't you feel the need to wash it now? Didn't you hear what he said when he came in?" the stubborn boy questioned rapidly, his voice rising with each one as he turned to the de facto leader of this group.

A large sigh was heard from most of the kids, to tell the truth they were getting tired of this disagreement.

Gary turned to his friend, a sad look in his eyes. "Ron, we've been over this before. We can't make enemies of anyone. We want the group to remain whole and if we're seen fighting then the professors might use it as an excuse to separate us. Don't you want to stay with your friends? Besides, you just insulted a good quarter of the people in this car, which you've called friends for the last six years. There are at least two that we know are going to be sorted into Slytherin, and many others whose parents were. Besides, do you really think that fighting should happen because of a few insults?" he said, pleading with his entire face for this hot-headed friend to understand. If he didn't and they were in the same house, it was going to be a long seven years.

"Yeah, Ron," Neville added, putting his hand on the younger twin's shoulder in a show of support, "I don't get why you don't understand this yet. It is for the good of the Mutineers that we are seen as upstanding students. United… just like our motto says." He looked at his friend and shook his head. That boy was hard-headed and it may take more time to get him to see that Gryffindor was not the only good House.

Ron looked around the car and saw that he and Seamus were the only ones that felt the way they did. He rubbed his hand through the back of his hair and tried to come up with a way to get out of the debate he had lost so many times before. "Yeah, alright. Sorry, I just lost my head for a minute," he mumbled an apology and turned way to talk to Seamus and Wayne about Quidditch again. Not noticing that no one believed him.

After a few minutes of contemplative silence, the rest of the kids went back to clicks and started up the conversations they were having before the interruption. The rest of the train ride was fun and exciting they had met a few more people that stayed in the car with them. There was a slightly bossy and inquisitive girl named Hermione Granger and a shy little girl, who wanted to be around a large group of people her age for protection, Sally Anne Perks.

Susan and Hannah took Sally Anne under their wing and drew her into the conversation they were having about dress robes.

Harry and Terry were talking with Hermione about what House they wanted to be in, trying to get the girl to decide on getting sorted for who she was and not who had been where in the past.

 **Hphphp**

While the kids talked, so did the parents. At the Potter manor there was a group of ten people, all these particular parents didn't have jobs and had plenty of time to hunt. The team consisted of; Albert Boot, Kenton Brocklehurst, Gifford Abbott, Wayne Hopkins Sr., Augusta Longbottom who was just recently brought in, the Potters, and Sirius and Remus.

"Okay, guys settle down," James said to the excited group. They had been making plans for years now and were all anxious to get the show on the road, so to speak. The research and inventing were done in the dark of night, when the kids were in bed. "Now, that our children, or grandchild, are at Hogwarts we can get started. Everyone knows what they have to do?" he asked down the table, getting everyone's attention.

"I am going to be asking around about people that went to school with Tom Riddle. They are quite a bit older; however, we are mostly in the same social circles, so I should be able to get them to spill some gossip. Most don't know he is Voldemort, I know I did not know. I am hoping that if I mix it up with gossip of other alumni, then no one should be the wiser," the eldest Longbottom said with a regal nodding of her head, making the vulture on her hat bob with her. "I do hope you will allow me to use your name. It would make whatever I get back that much more… juicier," she added a quirk of her grey eyebrow to Lily.

"Yes," the redheaded mum said with an excited nod of her head, "this is the perfect job for you. I only wish we had thought of it sooner, we could be so much further than we are now. Oh, well," she waved the mistake away. "Yes, use our names, but try and keep the boys out of it. You can talk about their schooling and friends, but that's it. I trust you to get the information we need, Augusta. The more we know about Tom's whereabouts after he left Hogwarts, the better we can decide where to look and what to look for," she stated, and then turned to the rest of the team. "Albert and I are on research. Severus really came through for me with the books I needed." She ignored the disgruntled looks from the Marauders.

It was the reason she had been 'spotted' by Skeeter in the Alley. She was thankful that vile bug of a woman didn't get a close enough to look at what they were doing or hear what they were discussing. Thank Merlin, Sev was a paranoid man. She would have to meet him somewhere more private in the future. Maybe the Shrieking Shack? It was closer to his work and there were plenty of reasons Lily could be in Hogsmeade. Maybe not, sneaking around might make them look bad if they got caught, perhaps it would be better to meet at the Three Broomsticks. She was not ashamed that he was her friend. Something to think on.

"Yes, and while you ladies, and gentleman, do that, we're going to take that doodad that Lily made and scout as much of Britain as possible. When the research and gossip teams come up with a location, we'll go there right away. Until then I think we should do some visiting on our own. We'll start with Grimmauld Place; I have a feeling about it. That and I want to clear it out," Sirius said with a grimace. The gizmo he was talking about was the point-me crystal that found Dark magic, the Darker the magic the more it vibrated. So if it wasn't vibrating hard then they could ignore what it as pointing to.

They had tested it last month in Knockturn Alley. It was a simple design; a black crystal, five inches long, about a finger's width. In that Dark Alley the thing went off at almost every store. They had discovered that a few stores weren't as Dark as they were told they were. There were even some niffy things in them, which didn't make the crystal go off at all. They had acquired a few necessities to make this hunt easier. Right now there was a debate on selling the mirrors and crystals in those neutral stores.

"It's going to be a long year," the older Potter stated with a bit of a whine. "Britain isn't small, and we're going about this willy-nilly. But it's the only plan we have until we get more information, that's where you three come in. Hopefully, we can find at least one of these things before the year is out," he said seriously.

"Now, the rest of you have the same tool James and his group does. We do know that he was raised in a non-magical orphanage, that might give you a place to start," Lily said to Kenton, Gifford and Wayne, they nodded and got with team A.

James stood and smiled. "Don't forget to go home to your family every night. I think we have some time before the Dark Wanker returns. So talk to your kids, or grandkid, and spouses. Don't let this hunt take up all of your time. If we hear anything that makes us believe that we need to pick up the pace, we'll let all of you and the other parents know."

The teams split up and went home, while Lily went to a room on the top floor that she had set up as a study. This particular room had a bookshelf in the wall, hidden the non-magical way with a sliding panel. You had to press the correct spot on the wall for it to slide open. The books that Severus had retrieved for her were Dark, and she didn't want anyone to know they were in the house. She put up the magic null spell on the room so all the Dark magic on the books was inert and couldn't be detected with any spells used to find magical items.

They were going to find those foul things and destroy them. Harry and Gary would be kept out of the fight as much as possible and no manipulative old man was going to tell her otherwise. This she vowed.


	18. The First Night at Hogwarts

**Chapter 18 The First Night at Hogwarts**

 _I am going with the movie version of uniform. I refuse to have a bunch of co-ed teens and pre-teens running around in just robes and underwear._

 _This one was a bit hard to update, since I wanted to delete it and rewrite the whole thing, but I stepped back for a day and reread it. I did rewrite a few scenes and added a couple. I hope the few of you that are still reading this like the changes that I made._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **Later that day, well, now night**_

The fifteen minute warning for pulling into Hogsmeade came over the intercom, and the children scrambled to put on their uniforms. The boys left to go find other places, while the girls closed and locked the doors. Since they were a thoroughfare car, they had to be quick, so some forwent exchanging their shoes; others just threw their school robes over their attire. The boys soon came back and everyone packed away games and other items.

It was getting dark when the train pulled into small wizarding town near the school. The Mutineers decided to let the rush of other students go first and then disembark from the train. Making sure they had their mirrors and crystals on their persons, well most of them, they left the train.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, over here!" came the booming voice of Hagrid.

The Mutineers knew the tall man, and while the Potters were at first angry at him, they soon came to realize that he was simply doing what he was told. So they forgave, but never forgot. He visited them upon the occasion, but never became a close friend of the family or the group of kids, just a nice guy that hung out once and a while.

The shaggy man stood to the far side of the platform near a path that led to the lake. He had a lantern in one hand and was waving it around so that people would see him. "Alright, you lot?" the gentle giant called when the large group of first years approached.

"Alright, Hagrid," they answered and then looked at one another and giggled.

The humongous man turned back to his duty, and the group of first years stood huddled and waiting.

"How do you know him?" the bushy-haired Hermione asked from Harry's right side.

"He tried to kidnap us when we were babies," the messy-haired twin said with a grin, only to get smacked on the head by Daphne. "Owie," he complained, rubbing the spot.

"He thought he was rescuing you, prat," she snarled mockingly.

The older twin pouted, "But it's funnier my way," he said.

"Firs' years! Gather 'round. Mind yer step. Everyone 'ere? Good follow me," Hagrid gently ordered after receiving nods from a good part of the group.

Carefully the kids made their way on what felt like a steep path through some dark woods. A lot of the girls were clinging to their male friends to keep from slipping on the damp path. The Patil twins were have a very hard time with their cloth covered feet. Their code of dress had made it difficult to switch to uniforms in such a short time that they only threw on their robes. After the second person fell, the Mutineers, starting with Harry, whipped out their wands and cast a _Lumos_ , lighting up the whole path.

"Where did you learn that?" Hermione asked eagerly and a bit jealously.

"We studied together growing up, and my mum taught us some simple spells," Harry answered as he grabbed her elbow.

"Oh," she said sadly, "I'm going to be so far behind."

"You seem like a smart girl, you'll catch up," Padma stated from Harry's other side, making the bushy-haired girl beam with pride.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, interrupting their conversation, "jus' round this bend here."

As the path opened into a large area in front to the Black Lake, you could see the beauty that was Hogwarts. It was a grandiose castle, with many tall towers and torrents. There was light coming from every window, making the castle look very fairytale like. It stood half way up a mountain and seemed to almost float in the sky with the day turning night.

"No more 'an four to a boat," Hagrid said, pointing at the fleet of small wooden boats on the shore.

Harry and Gary, along with Padma and Pavarti, shared the boat ride over. All of the gang had large grins on their faces, sharing a moment about what was to befall Hogwarts this year with the Mutineers now in attendance, all good things of course.

Their tall guide called for the boats to go forward, after making sure everyone was seated. The children all watched as Hogwarts got closer. And the nearer it got the more excited the children were, or frightened as the case may be. The Potter twins were getting a tad apprehensive, they had a plan, but it had to be done carefully.

After making it across the dark and murky lake and going up yet another long steep path, they came to a flight of stair and at the top was a large wooden double door. Hagrid used his plate size fist to knock on the door, and you could hear the echo come from within, indicating a large room on the other side. An older stern looking woman, that the Mutineers knew to be Professor McGonagall, opened the door and stepped out.

"Firs' years, Professor," Hagrid said with his customary smile.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take it from here," the Professor told the man, who nodded and left. She then turned to the children. "Put out your wands," she said, looking at the lit wands and noting who held them. "I would award you points, but you have not been sorted, so I will say… very well done, all of you." She smiled at the group of children she had heard so much about, but never met.

There was a flurry of ' _Nox'_ and the area became dark again. With that done, McGonagall turned and went down the hall, and the students followed her into a large stunning entrance hall. They then turned down another hallway and into a smaller room. It was empty with grey wall that had torches mounted on them, which gave off shadows in the corners, making it a little foreboding.

The prim Deputy Headmistress gave what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech. It was all about the sorting and the Houses of Hogwarts. She then left them to straighten themselves out.

The Mutineers grouped together and smooth down the shirts, ties and robes of the person closest to them. Soon they were all sorted. After a small scare with the ghosts, who seemed a little nervous and kept glancing over their translucent shoulders, the teacher came back in and led the children to the Great Hall.

The four, long wooden, student tables were filled with the upper years. There was one for each House and they ran the length of the Hall. There was a staff table that ran the front width of the Hall, which was raised higher than the other tables and was filled, of course, with the professors, staff and the headmaster.

The room itself was easily the largest room most of these kids had seen. The ceiling reflected the night sky and thousands of candles hung in the air. The overall atmosphere was welcoming, yet slightly overwhelming. You could almost feel the thousand years of magic hanging thickly in the air.

In front of the staff table was a three-legged wooden stool. Upon the stool was a battered, patched and very dirty hat. The first years were looking around with various states of awe on their faces, until the brim of the hat formed a mouth and started to sing. It was a cute song that depicted the Houses, but Harry felt that he really could have done without it.

When the hat was done, McGonagall pulled a roll of parchment out of her robes, unfurled it. "When I call your name, come up here and place the hat on your head and it will sort you into your House," she stated as she looked at the first years, who for some reason weren't as nervous about the sorting as most kids their age would be. "Abbott, Hannah."

Hannah walked up to the hat with a little bit of trepidation, which was her nature. She knew her large group of friends would stay friends, but still she worried. She placed the hat on her head and within seconds got a happy look on her face. She all but bounced off the stool, when after a minute the hat called out "Hufflepuff."

On and on it went, each of the children going into the House they predicted. In the end the Mutineers were sorted in the following order:

Susan went into Hufflepuff with Hannah, Wayne, Leanne, and Megan.

Terry went into Ravenclaw and was soon joined with Mandy, Michael, and Padma.

Tracey was sorted into Slytherin with Daphne.

Fay, Seamus, Neville, Alice, and Parvati were all sorted into Gryffindor.

After Sally Anne Perks was sorted into Hufflepuff, and you could tell just how happy she was by the joyous look of relief on her face to be sorted with her new friends, it was time for the Potters.

"Potter, Gary," McGonagall called. A hush fell over the Hall, then suddenly whispers were heard everywhere.

"Is that him?"

"He's handsome for a young…"

"Is that his twin?"

"I wonder if they'll be…"

"Shhh, I want to hear the…"

The disjointed whispers followed Gary as he made his way up to the stool, with a blank look on his face. He placed the hat on his head and projected, " _Hello, Mr. Hat_."

" _Oh ho, aren't you a polite one,"_ the Hat stated with a splitting of cloth to make a smile _. "Well meet, Mr. Potter. Oh, I see you have a plan. It's a good plan too, I've been preaching for years for a plan like this. To unite the entire Wizarding World of Britain, that is quite ambitious. You would do well in Slytherin, but I see that would go against your strategy. The bravery you are showing to pull off such a grand scheme you would also do well in Gryffindor. The mastery behind this plan puts you in the running for Ravenclaw. But your loyalty to your brother and friends puts Hufflepuff in the front. Tell me Mr. Potter, will your plan work if you are placed there? Think carefully."_

Gary sat for a few minutes running each scenario through his head. The thought of rooming with his twin was a good one, but the thought of going unnoticed in Hufflepuff was also appealing. After a minute he shook his head and stated, _"No, In order for this to work I have to go into Gryffindor."_

" _Then it better be_ —Gryffindor!" the last word shouted to the hall.

The room exploded with noise. The Weasley twins, who knew this would happen, made fools of themselves anyway by chanting "We got a Potter, We got a Potter," as they jumped up and down in the space between the tables.

Gary took the clothed relic off and winked at his brother, who gave a slight nod back, and went to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Hermione. He was a little disappointed that she didn't listen to Harry and get sorted in to Ravenclaw, where he felt she belonged. Oh well, if things worked out they would be good friends anyway.

"Potter, Harry!"

The Hall fell silent again as the name was called, and then more murmurs broke out. Harry matched his brother as he went to the stool, face blank and ignoring the whispers. He placed the hat upon his head and did the same as Gary did and greeted the hat.

" _Oh, another polite one"_ the Hat said _. "I don't think it's fair that your parents let all these kids know about me before you came. Not the first time it has happened, but by far the largest group. But, ah well, what's done is done and I see it was part of the plot. So many children trying to tell me how to do my job, it's actually a pleasant change of pace. Now, where to sort you."_

" _I would like to go to Ravenclaw, if you please,"_ the real Boy Who Lived requested politely _._

" _Yes, I know all about your plan from you brother's head. But, let me at least pretend earn my keep, hmmm. I see from you memories that you would do even better in Slytherin than your twin."_

" _But…"_ Harry started, getting worried that this might fail. None of their plans would work if he were sorted there. He had nothing again the House, but he knew it could be used against him.

" _No, hush, I know, I can see why that wouldn't work. Albus wants you there, you know? He gave me a long speech as to why he needed you there above all other Houses. Even after all these years he wants to separate you two."_ The Hat shuffled on his head and mussed up his hair more. It seemed a bit agitated.

" _Yes, well, we expected that and we're hopeful that you can't be controlled that way,"_ Harry stated in his head, fidgeting on the stool, knowing everyone was staring at him.

" _You are right, he cannot, and he should know that after all these years. Yes, that means you are not the first he has tried to influence. Now, let's get back to sorting."_ It drooped back down and covered more of the boy's face.

" _Yes, please. I can hear Ron's tummy from here,"_ Harry thought, stifling a giggle _._

" _Yes, quite,"_ the cloth artifact chuckled _. "Hmmm, I see you're far more powerful than your brother, perhaps the most powerful student in these halls. Your family and Sally seemed to have taught you well, little one. You would do well to heed their words and advice. Now let's see, while you are loyal, your true loyalty is only to your family, so unlike your twin that is not the House for you. Gryffindor won't do for you; while you are brave you are not fool-hearty. So it best be_ — Ravenclaw!"

The Mutineers exploded with applause, they were happy that he got where he wanted to go. The rest of the student body sat in stunned silence; everyone had believed he would be sorted with his brother.

McGonagall lifted the hat off his head and Harry took a quick sidelong peek at the Headmaster. He saw the old man's lips firm, but a calculating twinkle was in his light blue eyes. The older Potter twin smirked inwardly; he loved it when a plan came together. He went to the Ravenclaw table and sat next to Padma. He gave a knowing nod to his friends and they all shared a smile. Then they turned back and watched the rest of the kids get sorted. He made sure to clap for Ron when he got sorted into Gryffindor.

After Zabini, Blaise, was sorted in to Slytherin, McGonagall took up the stool with the hat still perched on it and carried it away.

The Headmaster stood and, in a parody of Gandalf the Grey, opened his arms as if he was encompassing the whole room, which caused a few who read the book to snicker. He stated that he only wanted to say a few words, let out a string of nonsense and sat back down.

After Dumbledore sat, the tables magically filled with food. The wood groaned under the weight of piles of roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, joints, steak, and kidney pie. For sides there were boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, mashed potato, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots. Then there was also gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs.

Comments were passed around about the Headmasters sanity. Harry snorted as he selected the foods with the least amount of fat and noted that the rest of the Mutineers at his table were doing the same. Non-magicals may get overweight and die of heart attacks, but young wizards just became lazy when they ate too much fatty food. The magic burned the extra calories, but not right away and only if they were using it. So the extra fat and calories made them lethargic. As they got older, well they got lazier and fatter, but it took years to get to that state. Made Harry wonder what those rather large individuals do all day. So the gang made sure to eat healthy, well most of them.

Harry and his cohorts made sure they introduced themselves to everyone around them. They wanted them all to know that the Potters were approachable. The older twin didn't like some of the upper-years, they seems snotty to him, and he hated stuck-up people. But he kept his thoughts hidden and smiled welcomingly. He waylaid most of the questions asked about his brother by saying, "Ask him, if he wants you to know, and you're polite enough, he'll tell you himself," and then changed the subject. He made a list of those who questioned him, and what they asked. Then he sent a mental message off to Gary.

Gary raised his head, looked at the people Harry indicated, and added them to his own list.

Harry glanced at the Head Table and covertly watched the staff. He knew the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and Professor Snape. He looked further and noted the other two Head of Houses'. ' _The tiny man must be Professor Flitwick, and the grubby woman must be Professor Sprout,'_ he thought as he continued his perusal. There was wishy-washy looking man next to Snape with a ridiculously large purple turban, who had his head turned to speak to the Potions Master.

There was a small sharp pain in Harry's forehead, and he heard Sally whisper in his ear, "That's the _Horcrux_ , ignore it for now. I'll fill you in later."

Harry discreetly nodded and turned to one of the upper years. "Who is that man sitting next to Snape?" he asked, jerking his chin to the man in question. "The one in the turban," he added.

"That's Professor Quirrell, 'e usta be the Muggle Studies professor. But, Dumbledore gave 'im a year off and 'e came back to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts. Not sure what 'appened to 'im, 'e didn't usta be this twitchy," she answered with a shrug and went back to her meal.

Harry nodded his thanks, and turned back to his plate just in time for the dessert to fill the table. There were blocks of assorted ice cream, apple pies, spotted dick, chocolate gateau, treacle tart, pumpkin tart, chocolate éclairs, and jam doughnuts. Further down there was trifle, strawberries, jelly, and rice pudding. The young man greedily took up some of the treacle tart and dug in. He was a kid; desserts didn't count in his book.

The feast finally came to a close and the Headmaster stood and welcomed everyone once again and gave a speech about not doing magic in the hallways, no going into the Forbidden Forest, a list of banned items, and not to enter the third floor corridor on the right hand side if you didn't want to die a painful death.

There were going to be a lot of mirror calls tonight and they weren't all going to be from the Mutineers. The Headmaster should've known better.

The prefects called for the first years to follow them. And everyone stood and left the Hall. The young man in charge let them know the rules of Ravenclaw and pointed to their rooms. The girl who was with him, stated that though this was a co-ed school there were spells in place to keep the amorous actions to a minimum, which made most of the eleven year olds scrunch up their faces in disgust. Even though Harry was getting tingly feeling for girls, he still thought adult touching was icky.

The group of tired first years finally went tiredly to their assigned dorms and mirrors were whipped out as soon as silencing charms, or security runes, were applied.

"Gary Potter," Harry called into his mirror after activating the security rune.

"Hey, Harry, what do you think so far?" Gary said tiredly as he scooted back to lean on his headboard. "Why are you calling me on the mirror and not broadcasting? Not that I don't want to see you, but it is far more secure to talk with our minds," he asked with a worried tilt of his head. He had felt that sharp pain that Harry got, but saw Sally talking to his brother so let it be.

"The Headmaster is off his rocker, is what I think so far. I mean, really, telling a bunch of teens not to go somewhere… that and I wanted to see your face. I hate not being around you," the older twin stated, also leaning against the headboard.

"Do you think we should tell Mum and Dad?"

"No, let Susan call her Aunt, which reminds me we have to warn Mum and Dad that Madam Bones is keeping a sharp eye on them. I heard the girls talking and she thinks they are up to 'sinister things', or something like that," the boy chuckled, but worried at the same time.

"You do that when we're done, yeah? I'm knackered," Gary stated with a yawn.

"I will," Harry promised and then jumped when his little deity friend appeared next to him. "Oh, it looks like Sally wants to tell us something," he said, tilting the mirror to include them both.

"What's up, Sally?" the younger twin asked, hoping it wasn't too bad of news.

"You need to call you parents' right after we're through talking. Voldemort is in the castle," she said, dropping that bombshell.

"WHAT!?" came the twins horrified response.

"How, the bloody hell, did he get into the castle?" Harry asked, angry and confused and very, very scared. For himself, but mostly for his brother, if that vile creature was in the castle then he would eventually go after Gary. At least that is what they thought, they were pretty sure the man didn't know who he hit, since they both look so much alike.

"Calm down, Harry," Gary snapped, feeling his brother's worry.

"Right, how am I supposed to do that?" the older boy snarled back. "For all of our training, we are nowhere near ready to take on the Dork Lord."

"Which is why you are calling your parents," Sally stated firmly, bringing their attention back to her.

Both boys took deep breaths and tried to calm down, but were shaking badly with the maelstrom of emotions running through each of them and cycling through the link.

Gary gulped and asked, "Where is he?"

"He is on the back of Quirrell's head, the poor man is possessed. I can't touch him. As long as he has those thrice damned _Horcruxes_ he is still partially alive. I have no idea if Dumbledore knows."

"From what you tell us about him, I doubt he'd let a Dark Lord be around children," Harry stated, not really believing that, but tired of the debate they continued to have.

"That is neither here nor there; I wanted to let you know that it is why your _Horcrux_ was pained earlier. It will always do that when you are in the Dork Lord's presence. It is a good thing your twin ritual cleansed it grey, or that pain would have been a lot worse," Sally said and then noticed the narrowing of two pairs of green eyes. "Oops, I forgot you didn't know that I knew, sorry," she said sheepishly. "Never mind that, call your parents. You, Gary, call your dad. Harry, call your mum. You can finish your talk later."

"Wait, shouldn't we call Madam Bones?" Gary asked, thinking it would be more logical.

"Susan is on the mirror with her, and who knows how long they will be," Sally answered. "I have to go," she said and disappeared.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later, Gary," Harry said and then deactivated the mirror. "Lily Potter," he said with a bit desperation in his voice. He was already making plan to face the evil man if he had to protect his brother. With each scenario that went through his head, his tension mounted. He drummed his fingers on his blanket covered knee as he waited until his mum picked up. When he saw her face he almost sagged with relief.

"Harry, what's wrong, sweetheart?" Lily asked as soon as she saw her son's pale face.

"Voldemort is possessing one of the professors. Sally just told us. I don't know what to do. I'm nowhere ready to face him. Mum, I'm scared. What do I do?" Harry quickly stated with a slightly trembling tone, making Lily long to take her child into her arms and make that fear leave him.

"Shhh, it's okay, sweetheart, listen to Mummy," the redheaded mum cooed. "We're going to call Amelia as soon as we get off the calls with you two. I want you to talk to your brother. You can do it mind to mind or… no, it's better that way. Less chance of being overheard. You two talk about stupid stuff, like what pranks you're going to play, or what classes you're going to like. Or even make fun of your professors, anything to get your mind off what you told me. When you're done activate your crystal, Okay?" she quickly talked him down. She knew the twin bond would help, and so would the crystal.

Taking deep breaths Harry relaxed, and then he remembered the Headmaster's warning and even though he was going to leave it to the others, he figured since he had her there he might as well tell her that as well. "Mum," he said a lot less emotional now that he was feeding calmness to his brother and receiving it back, "the Headmaster warned us away from the third floor corridor on the right hand side. He said we would die a 'painful death' if we went there. Why would he tell us something was there if he wanted it hidden?"

"I don't know, sweetheart, you let us adults deal with this okay? Talk to your brother and then try and sleep. You have classes in the morning. I love you, baby," she crooned, trying to further relax her child.

"Love you too, Mum. Done." And the mirror went blank. He had forgotten all about warning her about Madam Bones. Harry tucked the mirror away and contacted his brother with their mental connection. "Gary? Are you done talking to Dad?"

"Yeah, he said Mum told us to talk," came the reply.

"Yeah, let's talk about pranking. I can't think of anything else to get my mind off of all this crap."

And so they did. Until the wee hours of the morning they talked of stupid things, sending love and comfort between them, until they fell asleep.

 _ **After the mirror call, Potter Manor**_

Lily was practically screaming for Amelia Bones at the mirror, but it just kept flashing busy. Finally, James came and took the mirror from her hands. He grabbed her gently, yet firmly, by the arms and guided her into the game room. That much emotion was a magical accident waiting to happen, even with an adult.

"Lily-flower, please, you have to calm down a minute and think," the messy-haired wizard begged, holding his struggling and hysterical wife in his arms. He held her close and swayed back and forth to try and get her to relax some. She was usually the logical one and he needed her brain to figure out what to do next. She couldn't do that if she wasn't thinking.

Lily fought to get free and out of the room, her children were in danger and she was not going to stand by while that happened. She needed to get to a room where the mirror worked and call someone to rescue the kids. "Calm down! Calm down? How the bloody hell am I supposed to do that?" she yelled in her husband's face. "Let me go, James. Or so help me I'm going to hurt you." And if he hadn't had her arms pinned to her side, she would have belted him one.

"Lily! Lily! I need you to think. If you run off halfcocked then who will rescue the boys. It's obvious that the boys weren't the only ones to call their folks. Other kids must have told their parents about the 'painful death'. Listen, please, we need a plan. Do you think Amelia is going to believe that a dead man is possessing one of the professors? No. she's going to think we're… I don't know… trying to get attention or something. Lily, think," her husband pleaded quickly, running through all the reasons telling Amelia what Sally told the boys was a bad idea. "We need to be like the other parents and tell her about the Headmasters warning. We'll think of something when we get to the castle either tonight or tomorrow. Come on, I need your beautiful mind to help come up with a plan."

"You're right, you're right. Okay I'm calm," the less hysterical mother stated and relaxed enough that her husband let her go. She started pacing around the room thinking hard. James was correct she couldn't call the Head of the DMLE in a feverish fit, with no evidence and they couldn't tell her that Death told them, they would be locked up before they knew what was happening.

Lily's clearer head started going over the spells she had read about in the secret library. Was there any that could tell if a man was possessed, that weren't Dark? She couldn't be seen casting Dark magic. She thought and thought and thought and then ran from the room to go to and look through the books. She had a plan.

 **Hphphp**

While they were plotting, hundreds of mirror calls were made. Those calls cause owls to fly, Floos to flare, and phones to ring. Parents everywhere were contacting bureaucrats and in-the-know non-magical administrators. Pandemonium was rapid in the Wizarding World that night—and parts of the non-magical government.

Tomorrow would be a big day.


	19. The First Day of Classes

**Chapter 19 The First Day of Classes**

 _This is mostly a filler chapter that can be skipped, but there is a teacher replacement at the end. If you are one of my followers and have read my other stories, then you know who and you've read variations of that class before, so like I said you can skip this chapter. If you have not read my stories, then read on, my friends._

 _An extra-long chapter for you guys._

 ** _Forewarning:_** _My internet may be turned off starting next month 7/16. I will try to get this story up before then, but it might be put on hold. Sorry for that. I'm trying to save money for a move and this is the only bill that can go. That and I seem to be paying out the ass for shoddy service, which irks me greatly. I thought it was my computer, until I did some research and it seems that the huge amount I am paying for is for a lower speed. So, yeah… I'll give this up for now. I might try and find free Wi-Fi spots to upload when I can, but I don't have transportation, so that will take a minute._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _The next morning, Hogwarts. Gary's POV_**

"Gary Potter," the youngest Potter twin heard upon waking the next morning. He rolled over and grabbed the mirror from his nightstand, tapped the security rune and answered. "What time is it?" he questioned as he cast a _Tempus_. He noted the time was 6:30 a.m. and groaned.

"Glad to see you're awake, sleepyhead. It's almost breakfast time," his father's smiling face greeted him, making Gary glare in frustration, yet at the same time making him feel better. If his dad was smiling then no one was panicking and everything would be okay.

"Hey Dad, I see your humor is the same as always—lame. Did you guys work something out?" he asked, while trying to get the sleep out of his eyes.

Harry and Gary didn't wear glasses like their father. They had gotten magical contacts when they were ten. They wanted to be known for themselves and not miniature James'. They were tired of hearing, 'Just like your father, with your mother's eyes.' Though they still the 'mother's eyes' comments.

"Yes, but you're to leave it to us. I want you and the rest of the Mutineers to act as if there is nothing wrong. You and your brother don't tell _anyone_ what you know. You'll only create a panic. Your mum is telling Harry the same thing right now," James said to his child firmly, and then quickly glanced to the side to see that his wife was indeed doing just that.

"Alright," the young Gryffindor stated as he flung the blankets off and swung his leg around until he was sitting on the side of his bed. "What is the plan?" he asked.

"Your mum and I are going to be coming to the castle with the other parents, some officials and the Aurors tonight," he said, rubbing the back of his sleep mussed hair. The two adult Potters had been up all night with the Hunters, as they were calling themselves, going over plots. Right now they had what they thought was a good one. They only had to get the kids to wait and not do anything foolhardy.

"Wait, why are you waiting for night? Why not earlier?" the youngest Potter asked, stifling a yawn and peeking through his bed curtains. Everyone was still asleep, so he turned back toward his dad. "One of us might have class with him today," he added with a bit of worry.

"If that happens keep your wits about you and don't panic. Keep your eyes open and your mind blank. I doubt that the Dork Lord will try anything. We think he's after whatever the old man has hidden in the castle, so you should be safe, but keep on guard," James said as calmly as he could. He heard his wife saying pretty much the same to Harry.

"I'll try, Dad," the tired boy said, once more peeking out the curtains. Neville and Dean were stirring, so he ducked back behind the drapes and sat on the bed.

"As for why we're waiting, well it'll take that long for the DMLE to get organized," the father stated with a shrug. "And believe me it took a lot got keep your mum here. However, Madam Bones doesn't feel that the kids are in danger at this very minute, so she is going through all the proper channels so she can search the entire castle. Expect us around dinner time. Okay?"

"Alright," Gary yawned his answer. "I'm going to get dressed and wake everyone. Give my love to Mum, yeah?"

"Alright, Gary. Be careful, son, and don't be alone with Quirrell and stay away from the forbidden corridor," James said and signed off. "We love you. Done."

The tired pre-teen got off his bed and did his morning rituals. He then grabbed his expanded book bag, which was loaded with his course books. Going around the room he shook all the boys awake except two. Well, he tried to wake them, but to no avail, and after Ron threw his pillow at him and told him to 'sod off' he shrugged and left. The messy-haired boy went to meet up with the rest of the group, sans Ron and Seamus. They all met in the common room, plus Hermione, because he was determined to make sure she was included in the gang, and Dean Thomas.

"Thanks for waking me, Gary," Dean said as he looked through his smaller backpack.

"Not a problem," the younger twin said. "I just hope Ron and Seamus get up in time."

"Yeah, we're gonna need to learn some silencing spells for that one," the dark-skinned boy said with a huge yawn. They all knew he was talking about Ron, whose snores shook the room once the redhead had fallen to sleep.

"I'll teach you the one I know," Gary answered with a smirk. "I learned it from his brothers, the twins."

"I reckon they'd know," Dean answered as they all started towards the door.

"Give me a minute, I have to check something. Go on ahead, I'll catch up," Gary said as he moved out of the flow of first years.

"Right, we'll wait for you on the other side of the portrait," Neville answered with a nod, having a pretty good idea what Gary wanted to do.

Once they all left, Gary went to the side wall and consulted his map discreetly. He found a good route and went out the portrait. He met up with the gang, and extras, and as one they walked down to the Entrance Hall with him in the lead. They milled around, off to the side, and waited for the rest of the Mutineers so they could all go into breakfast together.

The rest of the first years started trickling in and each person went to who they related to best, like Susan and Hannah made a beeline to Pavarti, dragging Sally Anne behind them, and started talking about their guardians' reactions to the mirror calls made last night, much to the confusion of the new girl, who, being non-magical raised, had no clue what the mirrors were. It seemed that was the hot topic of the morning, and it wasn't even breakfast on the first day yet.

After waiting for ten minutes for stragglers, they all went to get their morning meal, chatting away as if they weren't in separate Houses. They did have to break off when they entered the Great Hall, but it was with cheery calls and hugs that it happened.

The Potter twins glanced at the Head Table to see how the group was received. They noticed most of the professors beaming with pride and happiness. Excitement filled the air as eleven and twelve year olds happily said 'see you later' to their friends, causing most of the faculty to watch in wonder. Never in the many years that they had worked here, had they ever see such a tightknit group of students. It was a refreshing sight. On the other hand, Snape was wearing a passive face, Quirrell was trying hard to hide his disgust, and the Headmasters lips were firm and he eyes held none of their usually twinkle. The two boys hugged each other and promised to meet in class and when they had breaks together.

The younger twin took his seat at the Gryffindor table and started serving up his meal, making sure to keep it light. There was all manner of meat, eggs in various forms, beans, toast, hot and cold cereal, and bowls of fruit. There was water, pumpkin juice and milk to drink. He didn't want to get lethargic on his first day. He might indulge on the weekend, but today he served himself up some cold cereal with fruit and a glass of milk. He noted that all his friends did the same, with a few adding kippers, eggs or toast to the side.

Chatter filled the air, as the younger students continued to talk, some even calling across the Hall to their friends, which made McGonagall twitchy. She wasn't sure if she should compliment them on staying friends or yell at them for yelling in the Hall. She settled for give the culprits a sharp look and finishing her breakfast.

It was about fifteen minutes before the end of the meal that Ron and Seamus came running into the room. Their uniforms were in complete disarray, like they had pulled them off the floor. Gary only hoped that they had taken the time to shower and freshen up. He would hate to think badly about them, they were friends, for now. It seemed that almost everything these two boys did point to them not staying with the Mutineers, it was sad.

"Mate, why didn't you wake us?" Ron asked, sitting down. He and Seamus loaded their plates with the fattiest food they could and started chowing down, not noticing the looks of disappointment on the rest of the group's faces. It was like they never listened to the lectures that Lily gave about calories and how they made you sleepy and lazy if you ate too many. Gary had to wonder if that's why the school fed them such high-calorie food, to keep them calmer.

"I tried," the youngest boy said as he pushed his empty bowl away and took a drink of milk, "for five minutes. I even told you that you were going to miss breakfast. You threw your pillow at me, and told me to go away. Everyone was waiting, so I left. You can't really expect me to brush off the rest of the group just because you want a lay in," he explained with a shrug.

"You should've tried harder. Mum always rolls me out of bed," Ron said as he shoveled food in his mouth, not even stopping to chew some of it.

"Ron, I'm not your mum. You're eleven now and should be able to get yourself out of bed. I didn't have to _roll_ any of the other boys out of their beds. I just shook their shoulders and told them the time, and they all got up on their own," Gary said, as nods from Neville and Dean accompanied his explanation.

"Whatever," Ron said as he continued with his breakfast, causing the other boy to shake his head.

It was around this time that Professor McGonagall was handing out schedules, unknown to the students the four Head of Houses had stayed up late changing the classes around so that only two were Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The Headmaster was determined to put as much space between the Potter twins as possible. They had already done this once when Dumbledore was sure that Harry Potter would be sorted into Slytherin.

"Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Thomas," she nodded her head to each child, "I commend your efforts at House unity. You will each receive 10 points, so will all those who came in with you. However, we, the staff, do hope that you will continue in your efforts. I would also like to say, most of the professors are very proud of you and your friends," she said as she handed them their schedules.

"Thank you, Professor," Neville and Dean said and Gary smiled at her, nodding his head with respect. Hermione beamed at her Head of House and thanked her as well.

"As for you two, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Finnigan, I expect better punctuality from you in the future," she stated firmly to the two still eating as she placed their schedules next to their plates.

"Yes, ma'am" Seamus said as he finished his plate and looked at his timetable. Ron nodded his head to her as he chewed his food.

McGonagall continued down the table handing out schedules.

Gary looked at his piece of parchment and noticed that he only had Transfiguration and Herbology with Harry. " _Looks like it's beginning_ ," he thought to his brother.

" _Yep, it's okay though, we'll make sure we study together. I've been thinking, we should get the group to study here. That way we can subtly rub it into the Headmaster's crooked nose, and he can't do a thing about it. Not without making himself look bad. We'll still work out a way to get a room for the practical stuff,_ " Harry sent back not even looking in Gary's direction.

 _"We have Herbology first, and then I have a break then Charms. What do you have?"_

 _"I have Defense Against the Dark Arts, then a break and then Potions. Where are you when I'm in Potions?"_

" _History and then lunch,_ " Gary thought looking over his timetable.

 _"Well that's today's schedule, we have afternoon study time together. It is so much different than the other school. There's so much free time. We'll have to look into clubs or something. I have Astronomy on Tuesday, when do you have it?"_

 _"Wednesday,"_ the younger boy projected, once more glancing at the parchment in his hand.

 _"Okay that sounds good. We have Transfiguration tomorrow first thing, then I have Potions again, then we have Herbology. I have a break at ten, when is yours?"_

 _"Mine is at nine, but we both have lunch together and we can study after. We'll meet with the rest of the Mutineers in the library and check out the books, and then we need and gather at the Raven… no that table will be full, how about the Hufflepuff table?"_

 _"Sounds like a plan. Hey everyone is getting ready to go. Try and behave,"_ came a mocking reply from Harry.

" _Prat,_ " Gary sent back. He gathered up his bookbag and the first year Gryffindors meet up with the first year Ravenclaws. They all made their way to Greenhouse one.

The day went without issue for the first few classes. Today's classes were only covering theory; the practical lessons would start later. The Mutineers knew most of the theory, thanks to Remus and Lily, but they still learned stuff those two hadn't covered, which made everyone feel less bored.

Professor Sprout was a happy-go-lucky woman, who loved her job. She taught them the safety measures that were needed to work with magical plants. The first year plants and fungi weren't deadly, but they could give you a nasty welt if you didn't pay attention. Dragonhide gloves were brought out and used to repot a simple snap-dragon plant. This plant had a horrible habit of biting anyone who came within its reach and though it wasn't poisonous the bites did hurt. It was a good thing that its reach was only two inches and the snapping heads were six inches from the roots. So you only had to tip the pot to the side and grab the bottom of the plant, gently pull it out, carefully tip the plant upright —and there is where it got tricky— avoid the heads and put it in the bigger pot.

Neville was a great fountain of advice, and all the first years listened to him. Hermione was especially grateful, since gardening wasn't her forte. The class ended on a good note, no one was hurt. The Potter twins were happy to see that there was a mirror right next to the exit. They assumed that meant it was connected to the important offices in the school. They didn't have time to read the list that ran down the side. They did wonder why Professor Sprout didn't point it out, maybe she wasn't used to it and had forgotten.

Then Gary made his way to his break and would go to Charms after, while Harry made his way to DADA. Those two classes went as well as they could, seeing as to how Harry was very tense during his. He was very surprised with nothing happened, but a small pain in his scar.

Professor Quirrell was a nervous man, though only Harry knew truly why, whose stutter was horrendous. It was almost impossible to make out what he was saying. His turban would bob with his stammer, making him look absolutely ridiculous. The room smelled of garlic and was kept dark. Harry's scar stung every time the Professor turned towards the board, which was a lot. Most of the class tried to follow along with their books and were doing okay with that. It was decided that this class would need extra study.

When that class was done, Harry took a break in the library, giving his bother a mental rundown of the DADA class, while Gary went to Charms.

Professor Flitwick was like Professor Sprout in demeanor, which Gary found refreshing. He was a rather short, cheery man that loved his profession. He did get a little excited when he called the younger Potter's name, but settled down afterward and taught them safety measure, warning them that a miscast charm could be potentially fatal— something about a water buffalo smushing them. The first half of class, like the others, was on theory. They spent the second half of the class, using a stick, going through the six basic wand motions. Before everyone left, Professor Flitwick pointed to the mirror by the door and gave some brief instructions about what it was for.

Harry went to Potions class with a great deal of trepidation. He knew that Professor Snape had told his mum that he would ignore them, and in part the Mutineers. But the boys were also told by their dad that the man was still holding a grudge. Much to the older twin's surprise the class went off without a hitch. They didn't brew that day, but spent the class going over theory and safety protocols. Gloves were brought out again, and it was a good thing Professor Sprout made them clean them before they left her class, though Professor Snape suggested they get two pairs. Ingredients were prepared for the next class, which was when they were going to brew a boil relief balm.

Gary's History class was anything but calm. Not five minutes into the dead boring class, just as students were falling asleep, Sally showed up.

"Well," she huffed from right behind Gary's shoulder, making him jump. This caused Hermione to look at him quizzically. He just gave a slight shake of his head and continued to look forward. "This will never do. I'm not letting _my_ boys learn from this has-been," the embodiment of Death stated and with a determined look on her cute little face, she stomped up to the front of the class, walked right through the desk and tapped the professor on the forehead, causing him to stop talking and look up. "Teach or leave," she said in finality.

"What?" asked the confused ghost of a professor. He startled as if coming back to himself, and he looked about the classroom for the first time in a very, very long time. "Hmmm, I don't remember any of you." He scratched his withered chin, with his short fingers. "Why are you in my class?" he ask the students, peering through his glasses.

The class just stared at him, except for a few who had their hands raised to answer.

"I'll give you one chance, Cuthbert Binns, you can stay here and teach proper, or leave," Sally said, bringing his attention back to her by getting in the confused professors face.

"Who are you?" he asked as he peered through his bottle-like glasses at the little girl. She had no school robe on, so maybe she was a Muggle and didn't know this was a magic class. He wondered how she could have gotten past the wards, and into the castle proper. He didn't seem to notice she was standing _in_ his desk. The few students that had fallen asleep startled awake when they heard him deviate from the lesson, and were now watching the ghost professor talk to himself.

"I'm Death," Sally replied with a steel glint in her eye, which was out of place on that lovable little face. "You're dead, so straighten up or leave," she repeated as she floated to the top of the desk, then she stomped her foot, which made her look more endearing than threatening.

"Oh my," the dead professor said in sudden realization, looking down at his see-through hands, "I'm dead. I've always wanted to die. Now, I can meet so many historical people. Thank you," he said to Sally, who gave an adorable little giggle, angry face fading as if it had never been. Binns then turned to the gobsmacked class and said, "Well, I must be off children. History waits for no man." And with a jaunty wave, he floated through the chalkboard to his next great adventure.

"Much better," said Sally turning to Gary, with her hands on her hips and a beaming smile on her face. "I'll be right back, Gary, try and study or something." And with that she flew through the chalkboard and disappeared.

Gary nodded his head too much in shock as to what had happened to do anything else, though he did make a mental note to talk to Sally about her appearance. It was hard to take a six year old seriously, especially one as adorable as Sally. Shaking his head and putting that thought away for later, he pulled out his book and started reading the first chapter. He noted that half the class was doing the same.

"Who was he talking to?"

"What happened?"

"I'm out of here."

Were the whispers, and one loud voice, from around the class as they got over their shock.

"I wonder who he was talking to," the younger Gryffindor heard Hermione mutter, but he didn't answer.

"Sit down, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Finnigan, you were not dismissed," came a sharp female voice, making everyone look up. At the front of the class was a tall and slender ghost of a woman, who looked to be in her upper twenties. She had what appeared to be brown hair, pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head. And, well, you couldn't tell what her eye color was because it was so bleached out, so they had probably once been a light blue or green. She was dressed in formal teaching robes and had a ghost of a ruler in her right hand, and was tapping it into the palm her left hand.

The two boys slumped back into their seats and pouted.

"My name is Isobel Watts, I was a Ravenclaw here in the late 1960's, early 1970's," she stated, looking around the class as they all started to settle.

Gary wondered if she knew any good gossip on his dad and friends. He'd have to ask her, and then mirror them and rib them for all the childish things they did.

"I studied for years to be the Professor of Magical History. However, before I could take the position I was killed by Voldemort," she continued as she ignored the gasps, "during his reign of terror. I received an O on my NEWT's— Nastily Exhausting Wizards Test, you'll take them to graduate," she explained seeing the confused looks. "And I studied as an apprentice after graduating. It was right before I was to take my Masters' tests that I was killed. It is thanks to my good friend Sally I'll be taking over for this class. Now everyone settle down and open your books to chapter fourteen."

The class realized she was going to be strict, so they did what they were told and the room was filled with noises of books being brought out and opened.

"Excuse me, Professor, but what happened to Professor Binns?" Hermione asked as she raised her hand, but didn't wait to be acknowledged.

"He went on his next great adventure," the ghost answered with a soft smile. "I do not believe he knew he was dead, so my friend Sally let him know this fact and he moved on. But we are not here to discuss that, this is History," she said a bit firmer.

"Thank you, Professor Watts," the young girl said as she poised to take notes.

"Now, pay attention, today we're going to be learning about the Dark Wizard Grindelwald," Isobel said as she glanced at the clock. Her lesson would take a while. "Gellert Grindelwald was born 1882," the lecture began, "and was considered one of the most powerful Dark Wizards of all time, second only to Tom Marvolo Riddle, who later became known as Lord Voldemort," she said and glared at the gulps coming from some of her class. "Mr. Grindelwald was schooled at Durmstrang Institute until his expulsion. History is not sure why he was expelled, though rumor has it that it was for practicing the Dark Arts on students and faculty. The Durmstrang Institute is a Wizarding school that is notorious for teaching the Dark Arts. It is located in the northernmost regions of Norway or Sweden. We're not sure exactly where; they tend to keep it a secret. Durmstrang has, however, taught students from as far afield as Bulgaria," she explained, remembering this was a class of first years, some of whom had never heard of magic until maybe six months ago. She knew where it was, as all ghosts did, but it was their secret to tell.

Professor Watts looked around the room to make sure everyone was paying attention and noticed that Miss Granger's hand was once again in the air. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"So Mr. Grindelwald wasn't raised in England?" the little girl asked, wondering why Dumbledore fought a foreign enemy.

"No, he was raised overseas," came the answer.

"Why did the Headmaster fight him then? I mean, not that we're not thankful, but couldn't another wizard have defeated him? Someone from the continent?" she asked, confusion laced her voice.

"I will be explaining that soon," the spirit said, looking down her nose a bit in a very steady glare for the interruption. Then she sighed and smile. "I understand it is confusing, but I will get there in a few minutes. It is important to listen first and then ask questions at the end of the lecture. Unless I ask a question, you should be noting down what you want to ask," she said, a little less firmly.

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said a bit abashed and then waited, ignoring the looks she was getting.

"Later Grindelwald fostered a friendship with Albus Dumbledore," the professor continued, "while living in Godric's Hollow for a summer with his great-aunt, Bathilda Bagshot."

Once more Hermione's hand shot in the air, it just wasn't in her nature to sit and listen. The professor sighed and nodded to the girl.

"Isn't Godric's Hollow where the Potters were attacked," the ever inquisitive child asked, only look remorseful, when Gary gaped at her. He couldn't believe she asked something so tactless. She shot him an apologetic look. "Sorry," she mouthed.

He gave her a tight nod in return and then focused on the teacher, he figured she was just one to ask questions, but he would speak to her about her impulses.

"Perhaps you should have asked at a more appropriate time; nevertheless, to answer your question, yes that is where the Potters lived. However, that is not our lesson today," the teacher said sternly.

"Sorry, Professor," the girl child said as she hung her head a bit. She picked up her quill and doodled on her notes and Gary wondered what was going through her head.

"Now then, Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is the headmaster of this school. He is a half-blood wizard, the son of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, and the elder brother of Aberforth and Ariana. His father died in Azkaban when Dumbledore was young, while his mother and sister were later accidentally killed."

Hermione's hand shot in the air, but a stern look from Professor Watts made her slowly put it down.

Isobel continued without pause, "His early losses greatly affected him at a young age, and in turn made him a better person." That caused Gary to scoff, which earned him a firm look. "Albus Dumbledore is considered to be the most powerful wizard of this time. He is most famous for his defeat of Gellert Grindelwald, the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with Nicolas Flamel (we'll learn about him in another class) and he became the Transfiguration Professor and later Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which is where he is now. Professor Dumbledore now also serves as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot," Professor Watts stated in a sharp voice that garnered no nonsense.

The scratching of quills filled the room as the students took notes.

"Now, the two young men —Gellert and Albus— made plans to find the Deathly Hallows…" she paused seeing more blank looks from half the class. "The Deathly Hallows are said to be three highly powerful magical objects supposedly created by Death and given to each of three brothers in the Peverell family. This was said to have happened in the thirteenth century. They consisted of the Elder Wand, an immensely powerful wand that was considered undefeatable, though its history belies that rumor. The Resurrection Stone, a stone which could summon the spirits of the dead and makes the one who did the summons to die of despair. Then there is the Cloak of Invisibility, which, as its name suggests, renders the user completely invisible to everyone, including Death. We will learn about the Peverells in another class," she said, ignoring the grumbles, but was glad to hear the scrabbling of quills.

Gary was looking smug; he knew that Harry had the Peverell Cloak. Even if it wasn't a Deathly Hallow, it was a family heirloom.

Sally was tittering in the background, her hands over her mouth and her shoulders shaking. Professor Watts almost smiled.

She cleared her throat, glared at Sally and continued, "According to legend, he who possesses these three artefacts would become the Master of Death as told in ' **The Tales of Beedle the Bard'** the story is ' **The Tale of The Three Brothers'**. Though this is just that; a story, while there are such tools, Death did not make them," she informed them, with a firm look in her eye, as if to confirm that this was not a fact.

Gary was glad the Professor was saying it was all a myth, of course, because he knew Sally and she said she never made the Hallows. He knew the Hallows were just powerful tools, nothing more. Perhaps, if Watts repeated it enough people would stop hunting them and the bloody history of the wand would stop.

The embodiment of Death was rolling in the air, making the younger Potter and the ghost teacher roll their eyes at the perky girl.

"Does anyone know what happened to them?" came a voice from the Hufflepuff side.

"We raise our hands to ask questions, Miss Bones. I will answer you this one time. No, no one really knows where they are, well, except the wand and I'll be covering that," Professor Watts said, giving a chastising look to the Indian girl.

"Sorry, Professor," Susan mumbled, a blush staining her pale cheeks.

"To continue, Grindelwald and Dumbledore wanted to find these and wield their new-found power as Masters of Death, leading a Wizarding revolution with the aim of ending the International Statute of Secrecy and creating a benevolent global order led by wise and powerful witches and wizards, which of course they would be the head of," Isabel continued, pacing in front of the class.

"Wait," Ron blurted out, "you're saying the Headmaster wanted to rule the world and let the muggles know about us?" His gobsmacked face showed his disbelief. "There's no way a great man like Dumbledore wanted to rule the Wizarding World" he snarled at the teacher, slamming his book shut. "He's not a Dark Wizard," the redhead defended his role model.

Gary sunk down in his chair at the rudeness of his mate. He couldn't believe that his friend would question his professor in such a manner.

"Mr. Weasley, you will keep you voice respectful, or you will fail this class. Next time it will be detention; this time you will lose five points for Gryffindor. Now to answer your rather rude question, yes, that was his goal when he was young; however, if you let me finish I will explain," the ghost snapped at the redheaded boy, who also sunk down in his seat.

Isobel straightened her robes and started pacing again. "Their goals were not malicious and they worked together peacefully towards them. It was later that their partnership fell apart after the two were involved in a three-way duel with Aberforth Dumbledore that resulted in Ariana Dumbledore's death," she summarized, realizing she didn't have much time with this class as it was almost over.

The class was scribbling away, Gary right with them. He never knew any of this about the Headmaster. Then again, he never really looked.

"Grindelwald left Britain after he received the Elder Wand, though no one is sure where he retrieved it from," Watts said, tapping her ruler in her hand. "He then preceded alone with the revolution he and Dumbledore had planned. He established a power base in continental Europe at the fortress Nurmengard. He was a highly idealistic man, but marred by sociopathic tendencies —which means he only thought of his goals and not those that who were hurt in the process— and his links with the Dark Arts. It had been Albus Dumbledore's peaceful ways that had kept him from turning Dark sooner," she added and glared at Ron.

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Gary stepped on his foot and shook his head. That made the redhead pout, but he backed off and folded his arms and stared at the teacher.

"He was a revolutionary operating outside the law," Isobel stated, looking around the class. "He was not a wanton killer or torturer. No, he was a very sophisticated and manipulative man. He used these as tools to get what he wanted," she educated them steadfastly, tapping her ghostly ruler on her hands punctuating her words. "But, he and his followers in a single-minded and unpopular quest committed numerous crimes, including several known murders. His allies were most often unsavory characters as well."

Several hands shot into the air, but the professor pointed to the clock and continued on. "In 1945, at the height of Grindelwald's power, Professor Dumbledore confronted and defeated him in a legendary duel, winning the Elder Wand. Grindelwald was subsequently imprisoned in his own fortress where he resides to this day," she concluded.

"Wait! You mean he's not dead?" someone from the Hufflepuff side all but shouted in disbelief.

"No, Professor Dumbledore does not believe in killing. Five points from Hufflepuff," Isobel said, glaring at the child. "Now for homework, I want you to look up and find anything you can about Gellert Grindelwald, his fortress and his army and give me a one foot essay. No more than one foot, you need to learn to be concise, to be turned in on Thursday."

Between the bell and some grumbling students, the rest of the class gathered their belongings and in excited whispers, left the classroom. Sally had motioned for Gary to stay behind, so he waved the Mutineers on and wandered to the front of the class with Death.

Sally giggled and gave Isobel a big hug around her waist. "That was a great class," she enthused, still twittering like the little girl she portrayed.

"Yeah, it was a good lesson," Gary stated as he took a seat the chair behind the desk, earning a mocking glare from the two ghostly women, "though I don't know how the Headmaster is going to take it," he added a bit worried for the new teacher.

"Pffft, don't worry about him," Sally said with a wave of her tiny hand. "I brought her here, she's not going anywhere," she smiled brightly. "So, Isobel, tell Gary some of the stuff his dad and mates used to get up to," she said, sitting cross-legged in the air.

"Yeah," Gary agreed, bouncing up and down in his seat, "they never tell us the good stuff."

"Well," the apparition started, "there was this one time when you dad had pink antlers on his head for about a week. And another time when…."

About ten minutes into their talk, Headmaster Dumbledore came into the room. He gave a small smile to Gary and lifted an eyebrow, like the boy somehow was the reason for the change in staff. "Gary, my boy, whatever are you still doing here?"

The messy-headed first year smiled back, innocently, and gave an I-have-no-idea-what-happened shrug of his shoulders. "Oh, the Professor went to school with my parents and wanted to tell me about them," he said with a smile, causing the headmaster to turn to the ghost in question.

"Who might you be?" he asked her. He appeared to be mildly amused and more than slightly upset that there had been a seeming change of staff without his having been consulted.

"I am Isobel Watts, perhaps you remember me," she replied, giving the headmaster a jerky nod. She seemed nervous and kept looking at Dumbledore's wand, which confused Gary, because she just got through telling them it was all a myth.

"She's still scared of it and him," Sally whispered in his ear. "She was raised on stories of it and his power. I keep telling her she has no reason to fear that wand or man," she said with a lifting of her hand, "but life time fears are hard to overcome, even in death." She turned back to the woman in question and gave her an encouraging smile.

Isobel sighed with relief and stood a bit taller. Her face firmed with determination on the argument that was about to take place.

"Ah yes, I do seem to remember you," the aged Headmaster said, stroking his beard. "Ravenclaw, was it? Graduated in 1971? Died in '77 I believe, from one of the Death Eater raids." He looked the ghost up and down and asked, "How did you come to be here? I did not call you, and what did you do to poor Cuthbert?" His eye twinkle dimmed at the questions, no longer amused.

"I," she snapped indignantly, her pale eyes flared, "didn't do anything to Binns. He was gone when I got here. If you recall, you senile old bat, I applied for this position many times when I was alive. You," she jabbed a finger right through his chest, causing the old man to shiver, "kept turning me down. It looks like Hogwarts overruled you," she sneered, her voice condescending.

"Yes, I do recall that. You wanted me to evict a perfectly good professor just so that you may take his place. Hardly an endearing quality for an instructor," he said, once again examining the presence in front of him. "Consequently, it was the reason for me not taking you on in that capacity."

"Which was a mistake on your part," Isobel snapped, about to lay into the man, who was waving her objections away. "Cuthbert Binns lost his ability to teach when he died. You should have replaced him years ago. It seems someone agrees with me."

"Be that as it may, I am going to have to ask you to leave this castle at once," he commanded, ignoring her outburst. "I do not approve of your choice of lesson today," his tone was laced with power and his grandfather voice nowhere in existence.

"Headmaster," she said, visibly trying to rein in her anger, "there is a student here. Perhaps, we should take this elsewhere," she added, much to Gary's disappointment. He was hoping to see the man taken down a peg or two. Maybe Sally will tell him later.

"Ah yes, sorry, my boy," Dumbledore stated, once more turning his grandfather face on. "Run along to lunch, whilst I tend to this," he encouraged, making shooing motions with his hands.

Gary heaved a sigh, pasted a smile on his face, grabbed his bag and ran from the room. He made his way to the Great Hall, wondering if the gossip mill had already started.

What happened between the apparition and the Headmaster was only speculation from the portraits and school spirits, but Isobel Watts didn't leave.

 **Hphphp**

 _Most of that lecture was adapted from Harry Potter wiki, which I don't own. I read and reread, stood on my head, looked at it sideways and hopefully adapted it to fit this story. If you see something that looks off, let me know, please._

 _I've also used variations of the History lesson in '_ _ **Little of this, More of that'**_ _as a one-shot called '_ _ **Replacing Binns With Isobel**_ _' which I changed to its own short story, that I haven't finished yet, '_ _ **Replacing One Ghost for Another'**_ _. However, if you want to read the confrontation between Isobel and Dumbledore you're going to have to read the latter story. This story is from the Potters' and Sally's POV only. Sorry._

 _Most of this information can also be found at the end of '_ _ **Harry Breaks Free'**_ _so if you've read those stories, sorry for the repeat. I just feel History is very important._


	20. Chaos Reigns

**Chapter 20 Chaos Reigns**

 _To help speed along the putting up of the chapters, I combined three in this one, they were short anyway. Hopefully I can get them all up soon. It does make for extra-long chapters though. There is a lot of narration in this chapter, I must have hurried through them, though I did add some dialog, but didn't want to make it overly large._

 ** _Warning._** _FFN is glitching and for some reason is not letting me upload Word documents, it keeps telling me they are not msword, which they are. Nevertheless that means I have to copy and paste the chapters. I know from past experience that this can cause formatting issues. So if the chapter looks wrong, let me know and I'll try again._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _September 2, 1991, before Albus confronted Isobel_**

 ** _A short narration from Harry's POV_**

All the Hogwarts students, bar Gary and a few others, sat at their House tables. They were eating a filling lunch of sandwiches of all sorts, various meats, crisps and chips, Cornish pasties, and salads with dressings. There was the always present pumpkin juice, water and milk to drink. Harry happily loaded his plate with fish and chips, his favorite, added some salad with vinaigrette, and a glass of water. He'd have some milk and chocolate chip biscuits when he was done.

Gossip about the History class was sweeping through the tables. It even overpassed the parents' and officials' future visit. Talks of the third floor were also pushed to the side, and a lot of the upper-year students were excited for what was sure to be the only true History lesson they had ever received in this school.

As the word spread you could see that the Headmaster was not happy and ten minutes into lunch the man got up to go left the Hall. Harry figured he was going to go and meet the new teacher. The older twin couldn't wait to hear what his reaction would be. Sally could be very mischievous when she wanted to be. He did notice the House ghosts had settled down, so she must have talked to them and calmed their fears about her being here.

Gary finally showed up looking mulish and happy at the same time. He shared with his twin the talk the Headmaster and the new teacher had as he served his lunch. While he ate, he and Harry had a good mental laugh over the whole thing. Harry told him of his uneventful Potions class and soon enough lunch ended. The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Mutineers got up and meet at entrance to go to the library. The Hufflepuffs and the Slytherins had had the first period off and now they had to attend the one more class. They would all meet later at the Hufflepuff table for studying.

The talks went on quietly through study time, with everyone wondering how the Headmaster reacted to the new ghost.

Fred and George were very excited when they came and sat with the rest of the gang. They said they learned the same History lesson the first years did. They told about how the Headmaster tried to stop it, but the teacher continued on as if he wasn't there. They relayed the great frustration the old man exhibited when he couldn't banish her. Everyone wonder why the Headmaster didn't banish Binns if he could do so. The Potter twins got small smiles at this question; it meant that people were seeing that the man was not a god.

Soon enough study time was over the Mutineers were quite proud of themselves, since most of them got their homework done, even the reluctant Ron and Seamus. Hermione and Dean were also with the group, along with Sally-Anne.

Gary tried to tell Hermione many times that she was making her history homework too long, but she brushed him off. Right now, the students were putting away their books and getting ready for dinner. Anticipation filled the air as they remembered the mirror calls from parents and guardians that were received that morning.

 **Hphphp**

Dinner went on without interruption, and the kids were wondering if the adults had called off the… storming of the castle, so to speak. They ate and kept one eye on the door, but it wasn't until dessert that the doors slammed open and some official looking men, Madam Bones, twenty red robed Aurors, five men in blue robes, and a large group of angry parents marched into the Hall. Molly Weasley was at the front of the parents, she was moving her mouth, but no sound was coming out. She stopped when she realized she wasn't being heard and looked around. It was the stern look on Amelia Bones' face that made her back down.

The Head of the DMLE waved to the portly man and he stepped forward. The Mutineers knew this to be the new Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. They didn't much like him. He was a medium tall, pudgy man, dressed in a revolting green suit covered with an equally hideous green robe, carrying a lime green bowler hat. "Dumbledore, what the blazes is going on here?" the tubby man said, rotating his bowler hat between his hands. "I've been receiving owls and Floo calls all day; even the Muggle Prime Minister's portrait has been bugging me. I am a very important man, Dumbledore, and I don't have time for your games. These good people behind me have been receiving… mirror calls from their children. Now we've been dragged here to find out what the blazes is happening. Why did you tell the students they could die? Have you gone senile?" He got a happy look on his face as if that would be a good thing. He never liked that this man had more power than him.

"Ah, Minister, Governors, Madam Bones, and the rest of you good ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hogwarts. Now, whatever the issue is I am sure we will sort it out. I am concerned that the students felt it necessary to contact their parents and get them into hysterics over nothing," the Headmaster said, sweeping his disappointed look over his half-moon spectacles towards the entire student body. He noticed that most were cowed, though a surprising number of first years looked on defiantly. He cursed himself for not remembering the mirrors. He had tried to get them banned, but was overridden by the Board.

Amelia Bones in her role as Susan's aunt, stepped forward and stated in a very firm voice, "Don't you pull that on us, Headmaster. Telling children not to go somewhere is like giving them candy and telling them not to eat it. I will tell you right now, if Susan had been hurt or killed by a 'painful death'. I would have hunted you down and shown you just what a painful death was," she said with the look of such a promise clear on her face, many of the parents behind her had similar looks.

Many of the Mutineers and other students giggled at this. There were a few that openly glared at the formidable woman for threatening the benevolent man.

Then switching roles to Head of the DMLE, Amelia walked up to the Head Table and slammed down some parchments. "These are orders to search the school for anything that can harm the students. You had better hope we don't find anything," she said smartly, and then turned to her Aurors. "You three," she ordered, pointing to the closest, "go find out what is on the third floor and get rid of it. Check to make sure that there is nothing else that will harm the students. The rest of you inspect this castle from top to bottom, if you find anything that should not be here, confiscate it and take it to the Ministry."

The Aurors she indicated dispersed to do as they were ordered. Three stayed behind to protect the Board and Minister and his lackeys. Madam Bones turned back to the front of the room to watch the fireworks, a satisfied look on her face.

Gary heard a small squeal from Ron's pocket, and wrinkled his nose that his mate would bring his pet rat to the table. He remembered his friend telling him that he found it in the garden a month before school started, and since they really couldn't afford a pet; his mum let him keep it. Gary thought it was an odd pet, but knowing Ron, well let's just say, it was a fitting one. The Potter twins hated it on principle, but this was their friend so they let it be. They did have a fleeting thought that it might be Wormtail, but figured the Weasley parents would have checked. He then brushed it off and paid attention to what was happening.

Once the law enforcement officers took off, all of the parents went to check on their kids. The Board, the Minister, his cronies, and Amelia were in the front of the room arguing with Dumbledore. Much to the disappointment of the kids they were behind a _silencing charm_. Snape was at the Headmaster's side, standing with his arms across his chest, looking like a bodyguard.

The two adult Potters, Sirius and Remus went to the Hall doors and motioned the twins to join them. The boys ran like they were worried and engulf their parents. They noted that a lot of parents that had multiple children also called them to the entrance.

"We have a plan," the mother whispered, while giving a hug to Gary. "I've been working on it all day. There is a powder that will expel a spirit from a person who is possessed. It won't kill them, but they may be in a coma for a while. What we need to do is get close to Quirrell. I want you two to sit here and wave your arms about and then point to him, like you are either mad at him or disappointed," Lily suggested quietly, after rising from the hug with a concerned look upon her face.

"After that your mum and I will go towards him looking like we're troubled. You two go back to your tables with your godfathers and friends and no matter what —stay there. I'd tell you to go to your dorms, but I think Amelia wants everyone to stay here until the Aurors are done searching," James said, also giving the boys an anxious look.

The twins nodded and did as suggested. Harry pointed to his scar on two occasions, and complained about the stuttering, all the while waving in the direction of the ever scared professor. The Potter parents glanced up to see Quirrell pale even more while Harry played his part. Just when he rose from his chair and it looked like he would run; the two adults turned and with a determined look on their faces moved to the front of the room. Their glares pinned the stammering professor in place.

Other parents watched them go and one or two got up and followed. The Potters stopped and waited for them. They didn't want to be the only ones around the man when the spirit left his body. Each godfather stayed with their godson to make sure they didn't run off to help their parents.

Unnoticed by everyone, a small cloud of clear dust was being pushed forward in front of the Potters. James was utilizing what little wandless magic he was capable of. You would only notice it if you were looking for the very slight shimmer the dust created, which would be confused with any other gust of dust. The dust won't hurt anyone who is not possessed, though it might make them a little yellow-skinned.

The turban wearing professor stood nervously by his chair, hands twisting around themselves, shifting his feet back and forth as if undecided whether to run or not. The parasite on his head wasn't worried; he felt these people were beneath him and that nothing could touch him in the state he was in. Voldemort cared little for the man he had taken unwillingly —Muggle Study Professor indeed. The self-claimed Dark Lord's only concern was getting the stone, so he ordered the wishy-washy man to stand still and listen to the parents' rant.

Just when Quirrell opened his mouth and raised his hands, to try and calm the parents coming toward him —the cloud hit. With his mouth opened, he inhaled some of the dust and the rest settled on his face, hands and clothes.

A high pitched scream was heard throughout the Hall, a second scream joined it. Everyone turned just in time to see the turban fly unaided off of the screaming professor as a dark wraith was being expelled from the back of the poor man's head. There was Dark magic coming for an ugly distorted face that hung in the air above the man who had passed out from the pain.

Sally, in her skeletal persona, herded the ghost to surround the wraith. She suggested that it would help keep it from harming the children. That and it would impede the spirit's view and hopefully make it flee. They were more than happy to comply.

Many children scrambled under the tables, yells of fear echoed everywhere. Others clung to their parents crying that they wanted to go home. Still others pulled their wands; shield spells were popping up everywhere as the upper-years tried to protect the younger ones around them. Parents started to do the same. Harry and Gary were standing at their tables, wands raised, ready to defend everyone. Many of the Mutineers joined them, though their parents, and godparents, held them back from rushing forward.

The Professors all jumped from their seats when the second note of the screams hit the air and were forming a circle around the falling professor. When they saw the specter, surrounded by the school ghosts, they too put up the strongest shields they knew.

The adults that had wanted to talk to the man, all had stunned looks upon their faces. They knelt down away from the screaming form of the dark wraith, all of them quickly duck-walking to their children.

Dumbledore, Amelia and the Board also had their wands out. Their lips were forming counter-curses for possession, to protect the rest of the Hall.

The Minister, and his cronies, was hiding under the Staff Table; the three Aurors were surrounding him in battle ready stances.

The phantom of Voldemort looked around, tried to bat the ghosts away and failing. He saw Sally and his eyes glared. He knew what she was and wanting nothing to do with Death he fled through the owl-post hole to parts unknown. The school spirits chased him to the wards. He was screaming his revenge on the entire way.

Amelia and the officials immediately turned to the Headmaster to find out how such a malevolent spirit entered the school.

Madam Pomfrey ran to the downed man and quickly started doing diagnostic spells. She looked up to the staff and gave them a nod of her head letting them know that he was alive. One of the Aurors came forward and put unbreakable cuffs on him just to be sure, and indicated that the nurse could take him away for treatment. He went with her after getting a nod from Madam Bones.

A large sigh of relief was heard all around the Hall, as was the scraping of beaches and tables as the children, the Minister and some parents slowly climbed out from where they were hiding. Fawkes flashed into the room and started singing. The crying slowed and screams stopped and after about ten minutes whispers started filling the air. You could see that a vast majority of the school was still scared, that had been Voldemort after all, but the danger was over for the time being. Plus in the form he was in he was mostly harmless, barring another possession.

Malfoy Sr. had a calculating look upon his face, though the fear in his eyes could still be seen. He had worked far too hard to get where he was to just go back to bowing to that man, and if his son's reports on rumors was anything to go by —a half-blood. He would have to make plans and soon. Everything else was inconsequential as of now.

A loud bang was heard and all eyes turned to the front of the Hall and landed on the imposing figure of the Headmaster. His face recomposed into the gentle grandfather façade he liked to portray.

"Now that the excitement is over everyone please take a seat and enjoy the desserts that the Hogwarts house elves are famous for. When I am done reassuring the Board and Madam Bones that all is well at Hogwarts, the children can toddle off to bed. It is a weekday after all," he said with his gentle smile and eyes twinkling away as if the wraith of Voldemort was an everyday occurrence and absolutely nothing to worry about. He then turned back to the people surrounding him, put up a silencing charm and started the argument anew, with his kind and gentle face still in play.

Many parents, forgetting what they were originally here for, took the Headmaster at his word and started to reassure their children. It wasn't until an Auror came running into the Hall and up to Amelia, whispering in her ear what they had found on the third floor that they remembered why they were at the school in the first place. Still, they wanted their children to not be frightened, so instead of using the Headmaster's words, they used the actions of the DMLE. Soon the satisfied families were enjoying the dessert and chatting about the new ghost teacher.

Once again the Marauders and Lily went to the front of the Hall and motioned the twins over.

"Are you guys okay?" asked James as his eyes took in every facial expression that went across the boys faces.

"Yeah, we're okay. I hope Professor Quirrell is alright," Harry answered for them, rubbing his forehead to dispel the slight pain in his scar. And it as true, the possessed professor had been their primary concern. The third floor could have been avoided, but teachers couldn't. Now that it was over, they really did hope the man would be okay.

"Okay, that's good, I'm glad you two are fine. That was kinda scary, huh guys?" Sirius said, ruffling the hair of the twins, trying to lighten the mood.

Lily smacked him lightly on his chest, giving him a smile to show she wasn't angry and appreciated his efforts. She then knelt and hugged the boys for a job well done. The way they pulled this off couldn't be tied to the Potters. There was nothing on their persons that would indicate they had anything to do with the expelling of the Dork Lord. They had confined the dust in a magic bubble, which had hung over James' head the entire time he was with the group that had descended on Hogwarts.

"Mum, Dad, you guys have to be careful. Susan said her aunt doesn't trust you all the way, because you are keeping her out of the loop. So she said the Madam Bones is going to be watching you. Just keep on the lookout, alright?" Harry whispered urgently as he cut a glance to the woman in question, who was still busy reaming the Headmaster.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, after what happened with Rita, we're being extra careful," Lily soothed, petting his hair back into place. They then joined the rest of the children and their families until they were told by the Head of the DMLE that they could go home, or to bed, as the case may be.

It wasn't until the next day that anyone knew what was on the third floor, or how Dumbledore was reprimanded.

 ** _September 3, 1991_**

It was during the Harry's first break that he heard his first bit of gossip. He was walking down the corridor to the Great Hall, to grab one of the snacks that were ever present on the tables when no meals were being served, when he heard Dumbledore's name. So he slowed down and leaned on the wall just around the corner from where he could make out two female student voices.

"So I heard that Dumbledore is on a years' probation," said an older female student's voice whispered in such a way that gossips do, where anyone within ten feet can hear them quite clearly. "If anything else happens in the school this year, he'll be retired. They said that since he has been here so long without issue that they are giving him a second chance."

"Yeah, dat's what I 'eard too," came the reply from another female, who sounded like her nose was stuffed.

"Did you hear what they found?"

"No, tell me."

"Well I heard from Steven, who heard from Penelope, who heard from Jacob, that they found a Cerberus in a room on the third floor. You know the one Dumbledore told us to stay away from," the first girl said and an awed and frightened voice.

"No, really, a Cerberus!? Why on earth would one of dose be in the castle?" came the shocked reply.

"I don't know, but that's what I heard. Then they said that there was a trapdoor it was guarding. Under the trap door was some baby Devil's Snare. They went down the hall leading away from that and found a room with keys all over the floor. Jacob said it took a while to find the right key to open the door that was at the end," said the first person, you could hear the excitement in her voice.

"What 'appened den?"

"Well, inside the door was a large room with a chessboard in it. It looked like it was growing. So they walked past it and found and empty room. They went into the next chamber and fire came up from the floor on both sides, but that's all there was. A _freeze flame spell_ later and they came to the last chamber and in the middle was a large mirror."

"Do dey know what i' were fer?"

"Yeah one of the Aurors looked in it and suddenly he had the Philosopher's Stone in his pocket. So he took it to Madam Bones. And from what I heard she was as angry as a wet cat. I heard she chewed the Headmaster out but good and she took the Stone and was going to send it back to the Flamels. I hope she gets it to them before the Unspeakables come for it. I would hate to see them…" the first person's voice trailed off and Harry could hear them walking away as their voices got harder to hear and their footsteps echoed faintly in the hall.

With a smirk on his face, Harry turned and went to his next class. He couldn't wait to tell Gary.

Meanwhile Gary was hearing his own bit of gossip.

"So Susan told me that her aunt told her that Minister Fudge, even though he saw it with the rest of us, is stating that the wraith we saw wasn't He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He said it was impossible, that You-Know-Who was dead and couldn't come back," Parvati said to Lavender, in that same gossiping whisper.

"Did he say what he thought it was?"

"Yeah, get this; he's trying to blame Dumbledore. He said something about the Headmaster setting it all up to scare the public. Like that makes any sense," the Indian girl snorted, while her family didn't like the barmy old man, she didn't think he would stoop so low as to scare a room full of students. Besides she saw what she saw, and the Potter twins confirmed it from their mother who was standing right in front of Quirrell when it happened.

"Well, everyone knows that Dumbledore has been saying for years that You-Know-Who isn't dead. So I can see where the new Minister might think that. Not that I'm saying it's true," Lavender said quickly holding up her hands at Parvati's indignant look. "Just that I can understand," she ended with a shrug.

Just then Professor Flitwick called the classes to attention and started his lecture on the color changing spell they would start tomorrow.

It was in their joint class of Herbology that they heard what the Board decided to do with Professor Watts. They were still repotting Snap-dragons, because Professor Sprout wanted them to be able to do it without getting bit, and then they'd move on.

"Did you guys hear what the Board decided about the new ghost?" Mandy asked in an undertone. All heads within hearing range, glanced her way. Not wanting to be bit by their plants, they only gave her part of their attention, which didn't help as you could hear one or two 'Ow's' coming from around the table.

"No," said Harry in a soft voice, "what did they say?" the closest students leaned forward as much as their plants would let them.

"I heard some upper-years saying that some of the Board attended her class of fifth years. She is still doing the same lecture, I guess she thinks it's important that everyone knows. Anyway, they were there and some of them questioned her on where she got her information. When she could cite three different books, they decided that she knew what she was talking about and welcomed her to the staff. I heard that the Headmaster was very upset by this. I also heard that it was one of the reasons he was put on probation, because while he didn't hide it, it wasn't something the Board knew when he was hired. If it hadn't been for years of good service they would have fired him on the spot," Mandy said as softly and quickly as possible, not wanting to loose points for talking in class.

"I heard from some of the portraits that those two got into a huge fight and that the Headmaster tried to banish her, but couldn't. Then there was something about a little girl that appeared and laughed at him. They said she morphed into a skeleton, but then she just disappeared," Parvati stated as she moved her plant.

Harry nodded his head indicating that he heard and with another inner smirk went back to his assignment. Sally was so cute when she tried to be scary. It would be lunch soon and then study time; he would mental talk to Gary then. They didn't like to do it while classes were in session, in case someone was doing something dangerous. They were still working on being able to mental chat and concentrate on the outside world at the same time. The Weasley twins made it look easy, blast them.

 **Same day, Gary's POV**

It was during study hall that Professor McGonagall came to Gary with a note stating that the Headmaster wanted to see him.

"Professor, is it possible for you and Harry to join me? My mum doesn't want me to see the Headmaster unattended, because he tried to separate us when we were little," Gary said, putting a little bit of fear in his bright green eyes. He was hoping that his Head of House knew the history between the Potters and the old man.

"I don't see a problem with me coming with you, Mr. Potter. However, your brother was not invited. So I'm going to have to decline that part of your request," she answered with her lips pursed. As much as she admired Dumbledore, she never approved of him trying to isolate the Potter twins from each other.

"I guess that'll have to do, ma'am. Thank you," the younger twin stated with a nod of his head. He got up and gathered his books and papers. He then said his good-byes to the Mutineers, who were looking on in various states of confusion and worry. He left to a chorus of 'See ya, later' and 'Keep calm' as he followed his professor out of the Hall.

Harry said in his head, _"Pull up your Occlumency."_

To which he mentally scoffed, _"Duh."_

The student and professor continued silently through the halls to the third floor, where they came upon a gargoyle. The Transfiguration Professor gave the password of 'Toffee Éclair' and the stone statue moved aside revealing a winding staircase. The stairs moved on their own and soon the two were at the top.

"Enter," came the gentle voice of Dumbledore. "Ah, Minerva and Mr. Potter, come in, come in. Thank you, Professor, for seeing Gary here. You may go now," he said from behind his large and cluttered desk. "Gary, my boy, take a seat. Would you like a lemon sherbet?" he asked, waving to the chairs in front of his desk and then to the dish of candy that was on the corner of said desk.

"No, thank you, I just had some biscuits in the Great Hall," the messy haired boy answer as he perched on the seat indicated.

"Mr. Potter has asked me to be here," McGonagall stated, her lips thinning as if waiting for Dumbledore to contradict her, "and with the history of your interaction with his family, I don't blame him. I will be staying," she said in finality as she too took a seat.

"Very well," conceded the Headmaster, though you could tell by the dimming of his eyes he was not happy. But there was very little he could do, she was his Head of House and had every right to be there. "Now, Gary, tell me how your first few days of Hogwarts had been. Are you happy you came?" the old man asked.

Gary could feel the brush on his mind, but choose to ignore it. Although he did look away from the man's twinkling blue eyes and settled on looking at the old man's bushy eyebrows, which furrowed when shields met his probe.

"Oh, yes sir," the young boy said excitedly. "Me and Harry are having a lovely time being with all our friends," he said in deliberate improper grammar, "though last night was a bit of a scare. But, we're very happy to finally be able to study magic. The Muggle school was so helpful in helping me and my friends learn to study hard and remember things. All of us are extremely happy to be here," he gushed like the eleven year old he was. It was part of the plan, to portray themselves as naive as possible. It would hopefully throw the old man off, and make him think that Gary would be easy to control.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said in a slightly strained voice. He had not been in the Study Hall so he didn't know that most of the Potter twins' friends were studying together. He had hoped to break up that group when they all got sorted into different Houses.

"I for one think it is wonderful that that group of children have stayed friends," McGonagall stated as she gave Gary an approving look.

"Well, yes, indeed wonderful. I am delighted to know that you are not letting the tradition of separation of Houses waylay you from your friends. I did wonder if you would be joining the Quidditch team this year. I hear your brother is also very good on a broom. It is likely, you could both be chosen for your House teams." He figured he would start small, maybe set it up so Gary would get on the team this year, and then Harry would get jealous of his brother and the riff could start from there.

"Oh no sir, I have no ambition to be on the Gryffindor team. Even if for some reason I was offered to play this year, I'd have to turn it down," Gary said with a vigorous shaking of his head. "Studying is much more important," he said solemnly.

"Well, that is very smart of you, my boy," the voice got tighter still. Silence entered the room; the only noise heard was the snoring of the paintings that hung behind the desk.

"Well, Headmaster, if that is all, I have homework to complete. Should I tell my friends you're going to call them up too? Wouldn't want them to think you're treating me special or anything," Gary asked with as innocent a look on his face that he could pull off while laughing inside. He peeked to the right and saw his Head of House's lips quirk.

"Alas, my boy, I am a very busy man. You may tell your friends that I inquired about them through you," the old man sighed, his shoulder slumped slightly with defeat.

"Okay, sir, thanks for seeing me. Good-bye." And with that Gary and McGonagall left. Gary mentally relayed what happened to Harry and they both had a good chuckle, it was good to see their tactics working.

 ** _A week later at the Potter Manor_**

The Hunters gathered together to discuss where they were on their searches and research. Sitting in the dining room with high tea served, they all got comfortable and James started the meeting.

"Okay, welcome everyone. Let's get started shall we? Augusta why don't you go first and tell us what you've heard so far, and when you're done Lily and I might have something to add that could give you a helping hand in your gos… umm… teas," James said from the head of the table.

"Well, so far, most of the people I have talked to have not made the connection that You-Know-Who and Tom Riddle. I have tried to show it to them, but they are not listening and when You-Know-Who came back from wherever he went, he didn't look like Riddle anymore. All that Dark magic, you know? Since I have no evidence then I cannot sway them. I do not know if it is fear or senility, but they are being hard headed," the oldest Longbottom said with and exasperated sigh. She had had such high hopes of being helpful, but she was being met with resistance that she hadn't anticipated.

"And here is where we might help. Did Neville tell you about the new history professor?" James asked and waited for her to either confirm or deny. When she nodded her head that her grandson had, the messy haired man continued, "Well she gave a lecture about Riddle last week, told the whole student body who he was. When she talked to the board she cited two books that confirmed her knowledge. One was **_Legend of the Founders and Who They Sired_** , which is a self-updating family tree of sorts for all four founders. And the other was **_Paths of Europe's Dark Lords and Ladies_** , which as the title suggest is a history of all this country's Dark Wizards and Witches, including of course the most recent. So we have a copy of each of these so you carry them with you to your… teas," he finished with a smirk as he slid the two books toward her.

"Oh, my, yes that will be very helpful, indeed," Augusta said with a titter, glad to finally have something to back her gossip up. She picked up the magically lightened books and put them in her purse.

"Lily, what news do you have for us?" James asked, turning to his wife.

"Well, off subject for a minute, I heard from Severus that Malfoy Sr. contacted him and wanted to see if they could find a way to get the Dark Mark off their arms. He asked if I could look into it when I have the time. I told him I would do what I could," she answered, ignoring the Marauders blustering comments. She was quite use to them making a ruckus whenever her friend's name was mentioned. However, since they never did anything about their dislike, she let them be. "I thought we should know that there are some Death Eaters not willing to bow before the bastard when he returns. And while I don't believe for a minute they will turn 'good', it will still be one less person to face in a war," she finished with a shrug.

"Right, I'm not sure about all that. Malfoy Sr. is a right bastard and I for one don't want to help him. But like you said it would be one less person at the… man's side. Well, let someone else take care of that. We have enough on our plates. Speaking of which, how is the research coming?" James asked quickly to get away from _that_ touchy subject.

"We're close to finding what we need to rid the containers of their soul pieces. That powder you two used on Quirrell is a good start," Albert answered enthusiastically. He was happy with how far they had come. They had even utilized the Potters' computers in their research and found a few fantasy sites that might be helpful. Who knew Muggle fantasy was so close to true wizardry.

"That's wonderful," the de facto leader said, slapping his hand on the table, also getting excited. That would be a big step in protecting the kids and making the Dark Bastard easier to take down. He then turned to the three hunters that weren't Marauders simply named Team One. "Have you guys found anything? Or heard anything?"

"Not yet," came the frustrated reply from Keaton, "but we really didn't have anything to go on. Now that we know where Riddle came from, thanks to those books, we have a place to start. We'll continue in Little Hangleton tomorrow."

"Is the crystal working for you then?" Sirius asked, making sure that they had the tools needed.

"Yeah," Wayne Sr. said, pulling out the crystal and an object that looked normal, but when he placed it on the table the crystal vibrated, "we took it around my house and discovered a hidden compartment in one of the walls. Someone, at one time, had put this Dark artifact in it. I never even knew it was there. It's not mentioned in any of the family journals. So that was disturbing, but a good test." He put both items back in his satchel. It was something to take care of outside of this meeting.

"Great," Sirius said and clapped his hands together once then rubbed them in anticipation, "my turn. It seems that dear old Mum left a portrait on the wall of Grimmauld Place and it's been giving orders to Kreacher, the old house elf. When we went to check out the house, the damn creature tried to attack me. Me! It's master. Well, that didn't go over well. Anyway, I gave it the order that it was never to come within one hundred feet of me, Remus or any of the parents really. Then I banned it from the house and told it to go to Narcissa and stay with her family," he said with a cackle. He really hated his family and that vile creature was just as bad. He took a deep breath to start again, but was stopped by Remus.

"Anyway," Remus interrupted his friend's tangent, "we went to the house, used the crystal and found a _horcrux_."

There were gasps heard from the unexpected news and then they all started talking as one about what should be done with it and where to store it.

"Wait, stop, come on guys settle down or we'll never get anything decided," James said, standing up, raising his voice to be heard and rapping his knuckles on the table. He waited until everyone quieted and then sat and sighed. "Okay, that's an oversight on our part. We never figured out what to do with these… things when we found them. Suggestions?"

"Well, at first I thought we could put them in the magic null rooms, but that might cause the soul pieces to separate and join the main soul. I don't think we want that to happen," Gifford said, he had been quiet until now mostly taking in and thinking about all the news that everyone was bringing to the table.

"Wait, if the rooms make the Dark books inert, then why would the soul piece escape?" Lily asked, not really sure how they came to that conclusion.

"We're dealing with souls, and no one really knows how they will react. Do you really want to take that chance?" Gifford said with a shrug.

Lily conceded, not wanting to point out that her son goes in one all the time and the _horcrux_ was still in his scar. They didn't want that bit of information to get out. "You're probably right," she said with a sigh. "Maybe a lead box?" she suggested.

"That might work, but where would we get one? There's not much call for them in the wizard world. If you are seen buying one then you are marked as someone with something to hide," Sirius said and he would know growing up as he did.

The redheaded woman waved his concerns off, "Really, Padfoot, you should know by now that what you can't get in the magic world, you can always find easier in the non-magical. I'll take care of it. Until then let's wrap it up and put it in the freezer."

"I have one more thing to say before we break up for the night. Amelia wants in. She said after the fiasco of the first day of school, she no longer cares was Dumbledore thinks," Albert said, having been the one she approached at the Ministry. "I think it's a good idea."

"I don't know, she been pretty harsh on us up until now," James said with a shake of his head. "Don't get me wrong, I like Amelia, but we were warned to keep an eye out for her, that she didn't trust us."

"That may be so, but did you ever think that it's because she is an Auror. That and I know she only felt that Dumbledore would find out anyway. She actually doesn't like the man, and after… well you get the point. I know you had your reasons, and I agree with them, but the tide has changed and we can't afford to make an enemy out of someone that high up in the Ministry," Albert argued, determined to make them see they needed all the allies and supporters they could get. Yes, it was a large strong group they had. But, if war came then they would be fighting two sides —literally the Dark, and figuratively the Light — so no one could really be turned down.

"I think," Remus said considerately, "we should all take oaths. In this case it is not a matter of trust, it is a matter of not letting history repeat itself. Does everyone here remember how much we trusted Wormtail?"

Angry and thoughtful looks filtered around the table as everyone recalled the traitor. Nods were given and soon an oath was drawn and everyone around the table took it. History would not be repeated in this group.

"Okay," Lily sighed, bringing the topic back to Amelia, "if she takes the same oath, then we'll bring her in. Who knows, she might be helpful, she does have connections that we don't."

So it was agreed and the group idly chatted for a while and then broke up and returned to their homes.

 ** _A short narrative on what was happening at Hogwarts_**

It had been a rough week for the Potter twins. Somehow, and they were sure how, but couldn't prove it, it had gotten out that Gary would turn down playing Quidditch, so he wouldn't upset his non-celebrity twin. This had different reactions among the student population. Some were glad that he wasn't an attention seeker who used his fame to break the rules.

The Gryffindor team, sans the Weasley twins, was upset that he wouldn't play. Oliver Wood was adamant that the Boy-Who-Lived should give up on his studies and join, his twin's feelings be damned. Unfortunately for the Keeper, he said it in front of McGonagall. Who promptly told him if she ever heard him try to bully anyone on to the team again, he would be kicked off and put on academic probation.

Other teams, after hearing that the Potter twins were that good on a broom, were glad he didn't want to play. They had enough competition with the Slytherins cheating all the time. Though they did try and talk to Harry about joining the Ravenclaw team. That house was more sympathetic to his want to study and understood when he said no.

Both boys said if they did well this year on their end of the year tests, they might tryout next year. That seemed to placate everyone. It was also through the valiant efforts of Parvati and Lavender that these rumors were turned around in their favor.

Sadly this brought about the split of Ron and Seamus from the gang. Ron was highly upset that his friend wouldn't give up studying to play for the team. And Seamus followed along with his best friend. They never noticed that they could no longer talk about some of what the Mutineers stood for. They remembered being friend with the group, but stopped after Gary didn't join. The mirrors they had were also switched to the non-security ones. It made the Gryffindor dorm room a frosty place to be.

The study group had grown; Daphne and Tracey had brought the half-bloods they found in the Slytherin House. Susan and Hannah had brought a few upper-years and most of the first years of Hufflepuff. All of the first year Ravenclaws and some of their upper-years joined in, because hey, it was a study group. A few more studious Gryffindors also joined in. None of them were part of the core group of the Mutineers, just sat at the table with them to complete homework.

Dean was torn between joining the larger group, or sectioning himself off with the two sports fanatics. After a week he decided that though he enjoyed athletics as much as the next guy, he needed to pass his classes more. It would make his mum happy.

Hermione flitted back and forth between the two. She like helping people, so she spent a lot of time with the two ex-Mutineers, however she made sure to study with the gang when those two were busy. It was like having friends, and the bushy-haired girl was ecstatic that she was surrounded by many likeminded people.

Fred and George took the Potter twins aside and said they wanted in on the side group they knew the Mutineers had. The boys said they would bring it up with the rest of the gang and take a vote. Susan approached them for the same reason and was told the same thing.

With all these added people they took up an entire table. It was quite a feat to keep the large group on track with studying.

Sally kept them up-to-date on the movements of Voldemort, via her minions. After what happened in the Great Hall she had ordered them to question any magical person passing over that came from the UK to try and track him down. He was staying in Britain, for now, probably hoping to find one of the more susceptible Death Eaters to help him regain a body. Now that the stone had been returned to the Flamels, who quickly disappeared, that avenue was closed to him.

Mirror and crystals were used every night by a large part of the student body, and Dumbledore was finding it harder to manipulate anyone. Since the crystals were a form of guided self-help meditation; more and more of what used to be sheep were now becoming free thinkers and were finally seeing that maybe, just maybe, the Headmaster was getting too old to be in charge.

 **Hphphp**

 _Just a quick note to answer a few questions that were asked the last time I posted this story._

 _Why didn't the Potters know that Scabbers was Wormtail? Well, they didn't even think that Ron's rat could be Peter, because he only found it right before school, and now it is just one of the many rats in the castle. Sirius never went after him. He never lost a finger. He never transformed to fake his death. They are looking for a b man who is good at hiding, not a coward that lives as a rat._

 _I did add a lot to explain this that wasn't in the other posting. I hope it helps._

 _Also I lost a few people who were thinking I was making Malfoy a good guy. That couldn't be further from the truth, he is just a Slytherin who worked too hard to get where he was to bow to a half-blood._


	21. Halloween and the Rat

**Chapter 21 Halloween and the Rat**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, checking this over. All mistakes are my own. Remember the rewrite doesn't have a beta.**

 _Woohoo, two chapters in one day, but like I said, I'm trying to get this up before I lose my internet._

 _There might be a few mistakes in this one, since I only read over it a few times. I read it until my eyes went googly, so if you see something, feel free to let me know._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _October 31, 1991 Hogwarts_**

The month flew by with nothing important happening. School went on in it's usually manner of lessons and studying. The Mutineers were tighter than ever and all efforts from Dumbledore to break them up were negated by their favorite gossips, Parvati and Lavender, who made sure to counterattack whenever they heard anything bad being said. Those two were Merlin sent. They were very good at what they did. It was only the few times that it happened and it was more of the same. Gary was doing such and such as to not alienate his brother. The only people who seemed to be paying attention were those that hated the Boy-Who-Lived on principle.

So far they were being taught DADA by the Headmaster, who made sure to praise Gary every chance he got, and downplay Harry's accomplishments. He didn't do it often, just enough to get tongues wagging. The Gryffindor gossip queens were just as quick to stop the rumors.

It was now time for Halloween, which was a time of celebration for the Potter family. They felt this was the day that they survived and became stronger for it. They also knew that this was night when they gained a very special friend in Sally. So when the day started the Potter twins delved into it with gusto. They were so excited. They were going chat with their parents and Sally this night and share stories about years gone by. Not that they didn't mirror call their parents often, but on tonight Sally would bring those that died to join them. It was now an annual tradition.

 **Hphphp**

It was at lunch that a kink came up, which made the excitement a little less. A special edition of the Daily Prophet came with the headline:

 **The Boy-Who-Lived Turns Down Quidditch for Lesser Brother**

 ** _By: Rita Skeeter_**

The article that followed blasted the Potters for the way they raised a selfish child and made the readers think that Gary didn't care about anyone else —except Harry. Rita had a way of twisting words to make the reader feel as if they should be more important than anything else, and that celebrities should be thinking of others, and not their fame or family. It had quotes —all anonymous of course— that stated that Gary was a stuck-up brat that only thought of himself and Harry.

This was only a minor bump in their day, the twins knew that their parents would sue the pants off this woman and in doing so it would make her look like a liar. The youngest Potter looked around the Hall and could see that a large majority of the student body were outraged on their behalf. He could only think that it was thanks to Pandora's crystals that they were thinking for themselves and not being led like sheep.

 _"Wow, she is really going to get in trouble for this one,"_ Gary thought to his brother. He could feel Harry laughing his arse off through the link.

 _"You should hear what Padma is saying. That girl could peel rust off a pipe with the words coming out of her mouth,"_ Harry sent back with a chuckle clear in the projection.

 _"Our Gossip Queens are already starting a rebuttal,"_ the younger twin sent back, after looking at the two he mentioned, who had their heads together and were whispering frantically at one another.

 _"Look at Dumbledore,"_ Harry thought to him. _"He looks happy about this. I'll bet he was the one to leak the story. Too bad he probably did it via an unsigned letter and we'll never know."_

 _"I wonder what took him so long. I am beginning to believe he_ has _gone senile,"_ the Gryffindor thought as he looked at the Staff Table. Sure enough the conniving old man did have a smug look about him. Gary nudged Parvati with his foot and jerked his chin towards Dumbledore.

She narrowed her eyes when she saw that face and her plotting with Lavender became even more excited.

The Headmaster turned his gaze to the red and gold table and his face morphed into one of pity, like he was feeling bad about the article instead of satisfied. So the younger twin gave him a hurt look, as if the paper had did what the man had been hoping for and made a dent in his bond with Harry. " _Hey, if he looks at you try and look weak and pathetic, like you feel guilty for holding me back."_

 _"Yeah, I can do that,"_ came Harry's smug reply and his face took on such a look, to the confusion of the Mutineers around him. He just shook his head slightly and lipped 'later' so they would understand.

These actions actually garnered them more support. The students saw the forlorn faces of the twins, heard the gossip coming from the Gryffindor table, which said that the poor boys were being prosecuted unfairly. Many swore they would try and make them feel more welcome.

Meanwhile, the twins were laughing their arses off at whispers knowing that this was one more plot that didn't work.

Gary peeked to Ron and noted that he was behind the article 100%, which made him stop laughing. It was never easy to lose friends. He sent a mental prod to his brother to remind him that there were some that believed this garbage.

The rest of the day was spent fending off supporters on both sides. The Gryffindor twin was happy to hear Hermione berate Ron and Seamus for thinking exactly what Rita wanted them to. She still went back and forth between the estranged groups, never really settling for one or the other. She was more than happy to learn and help. Her bossiness dimmed some, but it was such a deep part of her that most learned to ignore it.

Gary had to wonder just what was said at the Weasley household that could make such an impression on the kids. They were like complete opposites, the Weasley twins were supporters of the Potters and Ron and Percy were supporters of Dumbledore. To the younger twin it only made sense that the adults in that house were equally divided. If he had to guess, it was Mr. Weasley that thought that maybe the Potters were right, while his wife took the Headmaster's side. He just hoped it wasn't important enough to split that family completely.

Harry was getting tired of play acting like the hurt brother, but was happy that the Mutineers defended the twins' right to choose what they wanted, and the rest of the Wizarding World could just bugger off.

 **Hphphp**

Later that day, study hall was a noisy affair and very little work got done. Gary slipped out early so he could get some peace and quiet and was wandering the halls. It was as he was roving that it came to him that Rita must have been in the school, yet he never saw her. Sure she probably got the tip from Dumbledore, but there were quotes from the students. Being the smart boy he was, he automatically figured out that the woman was an _Animagus_ and made a mental note to tell all the Mutineers to check their maps daily to keep a look out for her. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard his name called.

"Potter," came a male voice from behind as the sound of footsteps hurried to catch up with him.

Since he didn't recognize who was calling him, Gary's hand was at the ready to cast a defensive wandless spell if needed. He turned to the voice and saw an upper-year Slytherin approaching him.

The older dark-haired boy stood a good two heads above the shorter first year. His face was chiseled; giving him a hard appearance and making him look threatening. It also made Gary more cautious. He had nothing against Slytherins, but he knew that some of them were not to be trusted.

"Yeah?" the non-Boy-Who-Lived asked, trying to look innocent. His hand was hidden in his robe at his side still charged with magic, just in case.

"Forgive me if I startled you. I just wanted to introduce myself, and give you a belated welcome to Hogwarts. I was hoping that we could be friends. My name is Adam Goddard, please to meet you," the Slytherin said, holding out his hand.

Gary looked on the older boy's face and saw no falsehoods. So he released the magic back into himself, relaxed and took the offered hand. "Gary Potter, glad to make your acquaintance" he said with confidence as he shook with the boy's hand in a firm business-like manner, making sure to speak formally.

"Pleasure," Adam stated, returning the handshake in kind. "So… friends?"

"I would like it if we were at least not enemies. However, due to my very unwanted status I am very cautious about making instant friends," the messy-haired boy stated with a small smile. "You are more than welcome to join our study group and if you get along with everyone else, you will be welcome to the Potters as a friend of the family."

Being the pure-blood that Adam was, he knew just what the young man was saying about making immediate friends. It was much the same as his father told him over the years. So he nodded his head in understanding. "I will be more than happy to take you up on that offer. I wanted to make sure that you knew that not all Slytherins were out to get you. And that some of us would like to be in your… group. We feel that the House rivalry has gone on long enough. Some of us know that it has not always been such and want it to go back to the way it was before this great rift started," he stated hoping to convey that not all from his House were evil, like the rest of the school thought. To his surprise Gary chuckled.

Gary shook his head to ward off the hurt he could see in the upper-year's face and said in a much more casual tone, "No, no, I'm not laughing at you, but didn't you notice that there are over fifteen of your Housemates in our study group? We welcome _all_ students as long as they get on well with one another. Hey, do you have one of the guided meditation crystals? I can hook you up with one if you want," he said as a peace offering for laughing at the young man.

"No, my father felt they were useless. However, I would be more than happy to take you up on that."

"Sure thing, come to the study group tomorrow, bring your friends, and I'll have a few I keep handy as gifts," Gary offered and gave a final nod of his head. "I have to get back to the group, they'll send out a search party for me sooner or later."

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. To tell you the truth, from what the paper was saying, I didn't think it would be this easy," Adam replied and with a nod of his head. He then turned and went back the way he came.

 _'Well that was different,'_ Gary thought and with a shake of his head started back to the Great Hall.

 **Hphphp**

It was later that night and tables were laden down with all sorts of sugary treats. The food was all made to look festive. There were Lady's fingers with sugar bandages, pumpkins filled with candy, grape eyeballs that moved, witches' hats that laughed, candy made to move like bugs, orange spiced biscuits shaped like pumpkins and bats, the occasional fruit bowl made to look like wiggling body parts, chicken legs made to look like zombie legs, ham cut in the shape of jack-o-lanterns, pasta made to look like either snakes or worms and other Halloween styled food. All this moving food was disconcerting for the Muggle-raised, but seeing the wizard-raised not batting an eye at it, they soon relaxed.

The Hall was decorated with large jack-o-lanterns instead of candles. Bats were seen in the light of the sky like ceiling. And every ghost in the castle was wandering about the tables, telling tales of Halloweens past. Children's laughter filled the air. Stories of deceased relatives were passed along; as it was wizard custom to honor the dead on this night.

The magic was so encompassing that everyone could feel its warm embrace. The castle seemed to literally sing with a song of happiness.

All and all it was a magical meal.

After the feast the Headmaster stood to give a speech. He waited until all heads turned his way and started. "Now that we have eaten our fill, a toast to Gary Potter, who on this night rid us of an evil Dark Lord," he said as he raised his glass towards Gary.

Gary blushed, shook his head, stood and held his hands up to stop the cheering. "No, don't toast me," he stated to the shock of the now quiet room. "I didn't do anything that warrants it. If you must recognize anyone, toast my mum. It was she that cast the spell to protect the children she loves. Or salute the people who died in that war. Give tribute those who lost their live while fighting against Voldemort. Praise the Aurors, who died protecting the Wizarding World. Remember those that fought other Dark Lords. But, don't give glory to a child that did nothing except sit in his crib and simply didn't die," he said in his loudest most passionate voice, conveying that he meant every word he uttered.

As one the Mutineers all stood and raised their glasses to the dead. Slowly others followed and soon statements such as 'To Mrs. Potter…', 'To my Uncle Stuart…', 'To my Mum…', and 'To Alexia Bones who died…' filled the air as they raised their glasses and paid tribute.

Gary nodded his head and joined in, glancing at the very disgruntled looking headmaster, and internally smirked.

After the acknowledging was done, a strange music surrounded the Great Hall. Everyone looked around to see where it was coming from. Suddenly twenty-two ghosts appeared in the front of the Staff Table. Some were recognized as relatives that were killed in the war. Others wore clothes or uniforms of old times. You could see battle wounds and reasons for death on many of them, though none too gruesome.

The presences were formed in tiers, like a choir, and they started to sing. They sang about love and devotion to family and moved on to wars gone by. Their voices were so beautiful that none of the staff tried to stop them. Soon enough there were only a few dry eyes in the room.

Harry and Gary noted that Sally was standing in front of the choir waving a baton and guiding them. They would ask her later what was going on.

After the choir was done, the spirits that had family in the student body moved off to join them. The others dispersed around the Hall and talked to whoever asked them a question.

Dumbledore was talking to Professor Watts, trying to find out how these specters appeared in his castle. Since they came the same way she did, he felt she would know. He regretted the fact that he couldn't read the minds of ghost. Isobel just kept shaking her head and stating she had nothing to do with it.

It was around ten p.m. that the feast ended, and the students went to their dorms, all excitedly chatting about what occurred.

After doing his nighttime ritual, Gary went to his bed. He cast a _Muffliato_ , got his mirror out and activated the security rune—one can never be too careful. "Harry Potter."

"What's up, Gary?" his brother said, appearing in the mirror, in much the same manner of dress.

"Did you know Sally was going to do that?" Gary asked as he nestled down into his pillows, it had been a long day.

"Nope. Not a clue. She isn't there with you?"

"Nope. I was hoping she was there with you since it is your night. That's way I'm on the mirror. I wanted to ask her what the ghosts were all about," he answered.

"Hmmm, I wonder if she is keeping those new apparitions here," Harry mused, also snuggling into his pillows.

"Don't know, I hope so, maybe she is thinking they could be spies for us," Gary said thoughtfully.

"And you would be correct," Sally said as she appeared sitting cross-legged on Gary's bed.

"Are all of them from this past war?" Harry asked, perking up at that bit of news. Professor Watts had put the love of History in the boys and spirits were a fountain of information.

"No, some of them are from Grindelwald's war. They wanted to come and confirm what Isobel is teaching you guys. There are even some who knew Tom when he was here in Hogwarts," she replied, bouncing in place making her pigtails bob up and down, reminding Gary what he wanted to talk to her about.

"Hey, Sally, I was wondering. Do you always look like a six year old? I mean, I've seen your bony body, but…" he trailed off as he tilted his head to the side and waited for her answer.

"I can change my appearance to whatever I want," she quirked an eyebrow at him, making her look adorable.

"Well… don't get me wrong, you are cute, but I was thinking you could, ummm, you know, age with me and Harry. Or even a few years older. I mean I love you to death, no pun intended, but it is hard to take training serious when you're taking orders from a six year old girl," Gary said quickly, hoping he didn't offend her.

Sally got a thoughtful look on her lovable little face and slowly aged right before Gary's eyes. She still looked like an innocent child, but now appeared to be the age of the twins. Her tiny pigtail's grew longer and didn't bob quite as much. Her dress, while still in a baby-doll style, became longer in the skirt and straighter in the blouse, not quite as many ruffles. Her shoes and stocking remained the same.

"How's that?" she asked with a cute little scrunch of her nose.

"Much better, now I feel like you're equal to me, and not like I'm beating up some little kid," Gary answered and turned the mirror so Harry could see the changes.

"Yeah," Harry added his two Knuts' worth, "you look like someone I'd date, you know, if I was old enough." His cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

Sally just laughed and shook her head. "You mean if I was young enough. Remember, even though I look eleven, I'm as old as the earth," she said, reminding them just who she was.

"It is still weird fighting a girl," Gary added as he viewed her with a wary eye.

"There are female Death Eaters, get over it," she said sharply.

The boys nodded sagely and Harry brought the topic back to the ghosts. "So, those new guys are your spies?" he asked.

"Yup, they wanted to come back and look after the kids. They said if Isobel was given the chance, they wanted one as well. I tried sending Moaning Myrtle on, but she wanted to stay. I did learn some of her secrets though. I'm going to have Isobel give a lecture on those tidbits of information —next year," she replied with a conspiring wink.

"Not fair," came the twin replies and pouts. "You can't give us info like that and then make us wait. That's cruel."

"Too bad, you're just going to have to wait until next year," she said smugly and with a wave disappeared.

The two boys talked for a while and then signed off to call their parents. They told the Potters what happened during the day and were told that yes they were going after Skeeter and yes their solicitor told them she was in violation of the restraining order and she would more than likely get a fine and some jail time. They also told the boys that their rebuttal was already on the way to the Prophet and the Quibbler and they were going to do and interview with the Wizarding Wireless.

They all talked until midnight, and when the witching hour approached, they gave thanks to the dead. Sally brought some of the relatives, and they all had a nice reunion. It was about 2 a.m. that the twins signed off, started their crystals and went to sleep.

 ** _November 1, 1991_**

It was the next night and Gary was sitting on his bed, he had already talked to his parents and Harry. Now, he just wanted to lay down with his crystal and go to sleep. But he couldn't, it was his night with Sally, and she would be here any minute.

"Gary, all your dorm-mates are asleep, come on. Quietly," Sally said, holding out the invisibility Cloak. "Bring your map we're leaving the tower tonight. I've found a new place to go. I'll explain while we walk," she ordered softly. "You're probably going to have to wait awhile, but I don't want you to go to sleep, so to the common room with you."

Gary nodded to show he understood. He grabbed his mirror, his map and his wand. He took the Cloak, tucked it in his robes, and then followed Sally down to the common room. There were still a few people hanging about, one was Hermione. He went, sat across from her, and gave a nod in greeting.

"Why are you up so late?" the bushy haired girl asked, placing the book she was reading onto her lap.

"I just felt like sitting by the fire. I could ask you the same," Gary replied, making a show of warming up by sticking his feet near blazing fire. It was actually cold in the room so it was a good enough excuse.

"Doesn't your room have a stove? Ours does and it keeps the room warm enough," Hermione asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. She thought all the rooms were the same.

"Of course it does, but there is nothing like looking into the flames of an open fire," Gary defended, turning to face her so as to not seem rude.

"Oh, well yes I guess I understand that," she said with a small blush.

"Thanks, by the way, for sticking up for me and Harry, about the article," the young boy said with a heartfelt voice, sincerity showing on his face and in his expressive jewel green eyes.

"That's okay," Hermione said, more pinkness staining her cheeks. "It was no bother. I just don't understand why Ron is so adamant that you play Quidditch. I can't seem to make him understand that studying and family are important. You'd think with a family as large as his he would understand that." She folded her arms and sat back on her chair with a slight huff.

"I don't either. I mean, I've never showed that I wanted to play. We've had been friends for years. We went to the same non-magical school. He used to hang out at our house and play with me and the gang. I'm not sure what happened, but once we got to Hogwarts he and Seamus just stopped hanging around us. I think it has something to do with some of the people in our study group being from other Houses," he said with a shrug, knowing full well that that was the reason, but not wanting to bad mouth his ex-friend to someone who hung around him.

"Well, that's just stupid," the bushy-haired girl said, flopping further back on the chair and pouting at the absurdity of boys.

"You didn't answer my question, why are you still up?" Gary asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, well I didn't know it was this late until you came down. I must have got caught up in my reading. This is one of the books Professor Watts recommended, the one that tells of the Dark Lords. You're in here you know. Only a sentence or two, but it is your name," she said excitedly, bouncing in place. It was always exciting meeting someone mentioned in her books.

Gary looked at her blandly and said, "Yes, I know."

"Aren't you excited that your name is in print?" she asked in a very confused voice.

"No," he deadpanned with a blank look.

Hermione's face took a crestfallen look. She looked thoughtfully at the book, then at Gary and wondered why he would react like that. There was a bit of hurt in her eyes that the messy-haired boy noted.

"Look, I'm sorry I was short with you," he apologized. "But fame isn't everything people make it out to be. Besides, my parents have been trying to tell the public for years that they have no idea which of us got hit that night," he explained, not wanting to alienate the girl.

This made the first year girl perk up. That was defiantly not something written in the books she had read. "Really, well then why do all the books say it was you?" there was a lace of doubt in her voice, but she was happy to talk to the source.

"Dumbledore," came the short answer, like it was supposed to answer everything about the situation. It did— to the Potters and the Mutineers, but not to an outsider.

"Well, if he says it must have been you, then maybe he knows. Why would he say it unless it was true?" she asked completely confused as to why the boy would be so… blank when it came to the famed man. Everyone knew that the Headmaster was the greatest wizard of this time.

"He wasn't even there," the boy said and then waved it away, "Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore, just don't believe everything you read about me, okay?" He looked back to the fire and ended the conversation.

Hermione harrumphed, grabbed up her book and stomped up the stairs to the girl's dorm.

The tired firstie glanced around the red and gold common room and noticed that everyone was getting ready to go to bed. Percy was making his way to the stairs, and stopped to remind him not to stay up late, then continued on his way.

Gary waited a good ten minutes before he donned the Cloak and followed Sally out the door. They made it to the Room of Requirements. The embodiment of Death happily explained how she had found the room with the help of the Founders and now it was going to be used for training.

The room Sally called up was nothing special, just a large open room with gym mats on the floor and walls. There were various items scattered about; like chairs, books, rocks of all sizes and statues, to use as shields or weapons. However, Gary made a note to investigate further when he wasn't training. If what Sally said was true, there were no limits to the type of rooms he could call. Maybe even a room with a pool.

Sally stood to the side and watched a dummy to start cursing Gary. She shouted encouragement or instructions on whether to duck or fight, which spell to use or which item was best to use as a shield. Gary would wandlessly and wordlessly call the items to him or banish them to the dummy. He would dodge the spell fire or send spells back if he saw an opening.

They worked out for about two hours. When they were done, Gary got an idea and asked the Room to provide him with a shower. After he cleaned himself off, he stood at the door and pulled out the map. Even though he had the Cloak, he didn't want to run into any roaming teacher. After his revelation about Rita yesterday, he took an extra careful look at the map. He looked at the path to the tower and saw it was clear.

And then he noticed it, out of the corner of his eye —a yellow dot, with the name of Peter Pettigrew.

It was in his room.

Ron's rat.

Gary pulled out his mirror. "James Potter" he whispered, like Peter was in the same room as him. He had to repeat himself three times, getting louder with each call. Finally his dad answered.

"Gary?" the sleep worn man asked as he gave a big yawn. "Why are you calling this late?"

"Dad, you need to call Madam Bones," the youngest Potter said, sinking to the floor in relief.

That got James' attention. "Why? Are you and Harry alright? What happened?" he asked, waking his wife to call the Head of the DMLE.

"Peter Pettigrew is in my dorm," he answered a bit calmer now that he was sitting and had his dad talking to him. He knew he could take on the man, but he was raised to let the adults handle adults.

"What?!" James shouted, startling his wife. Gary heard her asking what was wrong as she tried to wake Amelia. "Gary said that Wormtail is in his dorm," he relayed to her, and her calls got more frantic. The oldest Potter then turned back to his son. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I was on my way back to bed, after training with Sally—she found this super cool room— and I remembered yesterday that Rita Skeeter might be an _Animagus_. So I was keeping an extra look out for that. That's when I saw Peter's name. Dad, I can't stay here, someone will notice and ask why I'm out of my dorm," Gary explained, rubbing his hand through his hair. He really wanted to march to his dorm room and attack the traitor.

"Look at the map, is the coast clear?" his dad asked in a much calmer voice.

Lily was explaining to Amelia what was going on.

"Yes, there's no one on this floor. Snape is two floors down and Filch is three floors up," Gary answered, his eyes trained on any part of the map not his room.

"Good, be quick and go to your common room. If you hear someone, pretend you were asleep on one of the couches," James softly ordered.

"Okay, okay, I can do that," Gary said, standing up, donning the Cloak and taking another deep breath. He put the mirror in his pocket, still activated and he glanced at the map once again. Seeing the coast was clear, he folded it and tucked it away. He then quickly made his way to the dorm. He glanced around the halls, as if, any second now, the wanted man would jump out of the shadows and kidnap him. His wand was firmly gripped in his hand, if that unlikely scenario happened, he'd be ready.

"Quickly now," came the muffled advice from his pocket, even though his dad couldn't see a thing.

The firstie made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady, gave the password and ignored her inquiry as to who was there. He scrambled in the door, handed the Cloak to Sally, and swiftly made his way to the couch. He laid down and put a blanket over his legs.

Sally gave him a thumb's up and disappeared.

"Gary," came his mother's voice.

"Oops, sorry, Mum," Gary said, pulling the mirror from his pocket and then remembered to put the security on.

"Gary, Amelia wants to know how we know. So we had to tell her about the maps. Don't worry she has taken a vow not to reveal any of our secrets. Now, I want you to call her and show her his name. She is waiting for you. When you're done call us back and we'll keep you company until someone gets there. Don't go after Peter, you let the DMLE take care of it. We can't come. There is no logical reason that we can come up with for us to be there that we can give to the headmaster. Amelia can always say she got an anonymous tip, we can't," Lily said all in one breath.

Gary smiled and said, "Okay, Mum. I love you."

"I love you too, be careful. Call us right back. Done." And the mirror went blank.

The slightly nervous young man once again activated the security on the mirror. "Amelia Bones," he called and noted it was answered immediately.

"Mr. Potter, I hear you have a man in your room that my department is looking for," Amelia said with a raised eyebrow. You could tell she was roused from her bed as well. Her hair was out of the tight bun she usually wore it in, and she was still dressed in her night clothes.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Your parents told me you could show me his name on a… map?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said again, and pointed the mirror at the once again activated map and showed her everyone's name in his room. He then showed her where the headmaster was so she would see it was not a trick.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. I'll take it from here. I want you to call your parents. Stay in the common room. Don't go upstairs for any reason. Do you understand?" she ordered in short and clipped sentences, already getting up to prepare to get a team together and go to Hogwarts.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am. Done." The mirror went blank once again and Gary called his parents. They had sat and talked for about a half an hour when Sally appeared and told him that people were coming. He said a hurried goodnight, told them he would call them when it was over, signed off, hid the mirror in the special pocket, laid down and pretended to sleep.

The portrait opened and quiet arguing voices drift through.

"My dear, I assure you there are no hidden criminals here at Hogwarts," the Headmasters voice stated as he, Madam Bones, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and six red robed Aurors came through the hole. "The wards would have let me know," he argued, and Gary could tell he was telling the truth. Maybe it was time to update the wards.

The Headmaster and Snape were still wearing the clothes they wore that day, so Gary could tell they hadn't been to bed yet. McGonagall, on the other hand, was dressed in an old-fashioned nightgown, with a long and heavy robe, her feet covered with slippers and a sleeping hat upon her head. She did not look happy about being here at this hour.

"I've already told you, Albus, I have to investigate. I received a tip that a wanted man was here and I must clarify that," she loudly whispered back, frustration clear in her voice, like she had been repeating the same thing since she got to the castle, and knowing Dumbledore she probably had.

"Albus," the Transfiguration Professor said frostily, "it will not hurt to take a look. Do you really want to take the chance with the children's lives?"

Dumbledore sighed in defeat and waved his permission to Amelia.

Gary made a show of stretching and loudly yawning as if he just woke up. "What's happening?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Mr. Potter, why are you in the common room and not in your bed?" his Head of House asked tartly.

"I must have fallen asleep watching the fire," he said, blinking tired green eyes at her. "I was talking to Hermione and then when she went up, I just got comfortable and I guess I drifted off. I remember Percy telling me to go to bed, but I was cozy."

"Young man, do you know if there is a rat in this dorm?" Madam Bones asked quietly, as if she didn't know exactly where it was.

"Well," Gary said, tapping his finger on his chin as he pretended to think, an innocent yet confused look upon his face, "Ron has a pet rat, but I don't know if anyone else does. Why would you be looking for a rat?"

"That is none of your concern, young man. You stay right here and let the adults do their job," Amelia softly ordered, with a sly wink.

Gary's face just got more confused, but he slowly nodded to show he understood. "Are you going to wake my friends?" he asked in concern.

"We can wake the other, but the Weasley boy will have to stay. You two go and get the ones besides the redhead out. You," she pointed to the shorter one, "stay there and protect the boy. I have no idea if he has a wand or not. If you can, stun him in his sleep, but wait until the room is clear of the other boys."

The two Aurors nodded and soon enough, Neville, Dean and Seamus were herded down the stairs. They sat with Gary and asked what was going on, only to be shushed by McGonagall.

"Now, I want every nook and cranny covered, we're chasing a rat. Seal them with magic, if you know how. If he runs try and stun him. No lethal spells. We're around children. If a student gets in your way let the rat run to the next Auror. I want him alive," Amelia ordered in a harsh whisper. "You three, with me, the rest of you stay here in case you're needed. If the children get up and come downstairs corral them into one part of the room, away from the portrait. If this is who I think it is, then he might use the children as hostage. Don't let him get the chance."

"Yes, Ma'am," came the response from the remaining Aurors. They stood ready waiting for a signal.

"Is this really necessary?" the Headmaster questioned —again. McGonagall shook her head and Snape pinched the bridge of his nose.

Amelia just rolled her eyes and started going quietly up the stairs, wand ready and her Aurors at her back. The Headmaster and the Professors followed.

Gary didn't know what was going on upstairs, but after a few minutes there were shouts of 'He's running,' and 'Don't let him get way.' The students were heard saying 'What's going on' and the running of feet sounded throughout the tower. Soon enough rest of the boys started coming down the stairs and were told to go to the far corner. Gary and his roommates joined them.

Scabbers scrambled down and stopped in fright at the sight of the Professors, who had already sealed the common room.

The students looked at the scene, whispering in confusion and when Percy started forward to pick up his brother's pet, he was ordered not to touch it.

Seven shots of red light were seen going towards the rodent, but it moved just in time and headed to the kids. Who, even though they didn't know what was going on, all shuffled to the side to keep the rat from getting in the middle of them.

A barrage of red light flew towards the moving target. Students and Aurors, plus Gary, all fired stunners at the same time.

Both Gary's and one of the other stunners finally hit the scrambling rat and it dropped to the floor in mid jump.

Gary smirked and thought, _'that'll leave a bruise.'_

McGonagall transfigured a pillow into a cage and Amelia floated the rat into it.

"Well, now that is enough excitement for the night," Dumbledore said, turning to the still confused students. "I think, perhaps, it is time for you to return to your beds. I will make an announcement at dinner tomorrow to inform you of what you need to know."

The students all went up the stairs grumbling and moaning that they once again didn't know what was going on. Gary went to his bed and gave a full body shudder as to what he had been sharing his room with all this time. He gave a fleeting thought as to whether or not wake his brother, but decided to tell him in the morning.

"Why did they take Scabbers? I mean, what could they want with a common garden rat?" the poor confused Ron asked, looking forlornly at his bed, missing his pet already.

"I don't know," Gary lied, his innocent mask firmly in place. "I was asleep when they came into the common room. I think I heard something about a wanted criminal, but I'm not sure."

"That doesn't make sense," the confused redhead said, shaking his head.

"Well, Ron," Neville said thoughtfully, looking out of the corner of his eye at Gary and receiving a slight nod in return, "you know that the Marauders were all _Animagus_ , right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Ron, think… what type of animal was Pettigrew? And who would the DMLE be looking for in a rat form?" the sandy-haired boy asked, shaking his head at his ex-friend. They had all heard the story about the group of friends that terrorized Hogwarts with their pranks. So it was not hard to come up with that conclusion.

"You can't mean that I've been sharing my bed with Pettigrew?" the other boy all but shouted. His face and ears were turning an alarming shade of red.

"I don't know for sure, but that's what I think. It makes sense," the Longbottom heir answered with a careless shrug and once more climbed into his bed. "Just think about it. I'm going to bed." And with that he closed his curtains and was seen no more that night.

"I'm too," Gary mumbled, not offering his unwanted opinion. He was hoping to stay as far away from the rumor mill as possible. He closed his curtains, pulled the mirror out of his pocket and called his mum. "Lily Potter."

"Oh, Gary, are you alright?" she asked quickly, scanning her baby boy's face.

"Yeah, they got him. I stayed in the common room like you guys told me to," he answered with a yawn.

"Okay, sweetie, thanks for calling us and letting us know. Go to bed, it's late. Remember to turn on your crystal. You probably really need it tonight," she said softly, relieved that it was finally over.

"Okay, Mum, tell Dad I love him. Love you too. Goodnight," the tired young man replied as he rolled towards the crystal set up on the night stand. Casting a _silencing charm_ , he started the crystal and as Pandora's voice filled the air he heard, "Love you too, sweetie. Done." The mirror dropped on to the bed and Gary fell asleep almost instantly.

 **Hphphp**

Gary told Harry what had happened as soon as he woke. They mirror called the Mutineers and start a daisy chain, letting them know what really happened. Also making sure that because of this they really needed to keep a closer eye on those maps. They let them know Gary's theory about Rita so that they wouldn't be caught unaware if she was around. Maybe, they should set up a schedule so that at least one Mutineer was watching the map at all times. It was something to vote on.

It was at dinner that the Headmaster did indeed make a short announcement. "I know some of you had a fright in Gryffindor Tower last night. I just wanted to say that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has everything under control," he said, after he got everyone's attention. He then sat back down and started a conversation with McGonagall. One thing the old man didn't seem to realize is that the less information he gave, the more children's imagination ran wild and the scarier the rumors became.

The following week it was those rumors that let them know that because it was the wards that were at fault and not the Headmaster, he was not to blame and was just on probation. Sometimes the Potters wondered if there was a large _Confundus Charm_ on the entire population of Wizarding Britain. That man seemed to get away with everything.

 **Hphphp**

 ** _A/N:_** _I changed quite a bit this chapter. I brought the Invisibility Cloak into play and made the mood between Gary and Hermione better, and made the twins less of cowards. The boys are still eleven and I'm not going to pit them against full-grown wizards. Not yet. However, the sobbing and fear got on my nerves so I changed it._


	22. Meetings and a Party

**Chapter 22 Meetings and a Party**

 **Thanks to my beta, darrelldeam, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own. Remember the rewrite has no beta.**

 **FFN still won't let me upload, so please tell me if the formatting is wonky. I'll check it myself, but some of you get this before it post on the list.**

 _Not much changed in this one, and the last part is simply filler. You will note that I do introduce a few OCs throughout the story, don't worry they are mostly there to show how the boys act. They stay in the background. Also there is a bit of a time skip. I wanted to move the story along._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _November 13, 1991 Potter Manor_**

It took a couple of weeks for everyone to relax after the capture of Pettigrew. They all were on edge for that time and when the dust settled and Peter was in Azkaban then the adult Potters felt it was time to see how their teams were doing. So they called a meeting. The Hunters gathered at the Potter manor, and the meeting started with Augusta.

"Those books were Merlin sent, though with my bad eyes it took me a while to read them, however I did learn a lot about Mr. Riddle. I now know that he graduated at the top of his class and received an award to the school for turning in Rubeus Hagrid for opening the Chamber of Secrets. I talked to Mr. Hagrid and the poor man never even had a trial. They were just so happy to find a scapegoat for the death of young Myrtle that they simply expelled him and snapped his wand," the Longbottom Matron said, there was a great deal of pity in her voice. "That was a bit before my time, and I had only heard rumor that there was a death and that the person responsible was caught. Headmaster Dippet must have hushed it up. I wish there was something I could do."

Lily reached across the table and gathered the withered old hand of the slightly distraught woman. "I'm sure you'll try," she said in a consolatory voice, gently patting the hand. "However, it might not do any good. Anyone with half an eye can tell Hagrid is a half giant. If you ask for a trial it'll be denied. Especially with that hag Umbridge on Fudges side. She was bad enough in her last appointment, now with her as an Undersecretary…brrrrrr," the redhead shuddered at the thought.

Remus, who felt the brunt of all the laws that woman tried to pass, nodded. It was a good thing that James was on the Wizengamot, or his life would be hell.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Dolores, we have plans for her," James said slyly as he shared a look with the other two Marauders.

"Don't underestimate that toad," Lily warned, and then turned back to Augusta. "So you see there isn't anything you can do."

"I know, I know, I just feel like I should do, or say, something. Now that I think about it, and knowing what I know about Tom, it is almost without doubt that he was the one to open the Chamber," the older woman said, pulling her hand back and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," Sirius said, wondering if they could get Harry to find it. It would be wicked to see where one of the Founders hid when he was fighting with the others. Well, perhaps after they kill the monster. He would have to ask Sally why the man felt a basilisk was a good idea for a school.

"To right," the older woman said with a nod. "Continuing on, after Tom graduated, he was offered all manner of jobs in the Ministry and to everyone's surprise took a job at Borgin and Burkes. Well, this was after he was turned down for the professorship of the DADA. Headmaster Dippet said he was too young, and told him to reapply again when he was older," she lectured, more composed now. She stopped to sip the ever present tea. "Which he did, right before he disappeared, but Albus denied him the position. I don't know the reason why, but rumor has it that he was the one to cast the curse on the position."

"Can you imagine us or our kids being taught by Voldemort?" James said with a full body shudder, just thinking about the horror that would be. The school might as well change its name to Durmstrang.

"Well, if you think about it they sort of were. I mean, Quirrell was possessed by the man. It is a good thing you stop him," Remus said. Then after a minutes' thought he added, "If he had become the DADA professor, I would think that either I wouldn't have been invited at all or more weres would have joined the student body."

They all got thoughtful at that until Sirius let out a yell, breaking the silence.

"Ahhh," the long-haired man said a look of mock terror on his face, "I can only think about how I'd've been treated, going against my family and all."

"Yes, well," Augusta said with a small chuckle, "all I know is that after some shady deals that lead to a few deaths, he simply disappeared. No one I've talked to knows where he went. Then after about twenty years he came back, but he wasn't Tom anymore. No, now he was Voldemort. He kept a low profile for quite a while. There were some mysterious deaths and disappearances, but nothing the Ministry could pin on him. Then you know what happened after that," she finished, sitting back indicating she was done.

"Well, that's more information than we had," Albert said, writing it all down. "Try and find where he went if you can. We know his family comes from Little Hangleton. And if I am not mistaken, Team One has already been there," he said, looking at the fore mentioned team.

"Oh, we went, alright. Damn near lost our lives getting this ring," exclaimed Wayne as he took out a lead box and placed it in front of him. The box gave off a Dark aura and no one wanted to touch it. "That hovel his mum grew up in was riddled with traps, no pun intended. The curses he laid on it were bad. Be careful there is a compulsion charm on it. I almost put it on, it was thanks to Kenton I didn't," he nodded to his partner, who gave him a reassuring smile.

"It took us five days just to get this one out," Gifford said, looking at the box. "We might want to get some more help. We just don't know enough about wards to break them down fast. As it was we had to look most of those up. And in the end bash through them with joint force. They were in _parseltongue_."

The rest of the group looked at them with a bit of awe, then shook their heads and nodded. It was something to think about, but for now they were going to keep it small and hope the rest of the _horcruxes_ weren't as secure.

James leaned over the table and brought the box to him. He didn't look inside; he just set it next to his plate and continued with the meeting. "So we now have two of his soul pieces, the necklace and the ring. Augusta see if anyone can tell you if he tried to get heirlooms or special pieces that wouldn't really fit with Borgin and Burkes merchandise. It might give us clues as to what else we are looking for. Amelia, do you have a good standing with the goblins?" he asked, turning to the Head of the DMLE.

Madam Bones shook her head from her thoughts on ward breakers and sat up straighter. She was glad that she was now part of this group, even though this was her first official meeting. When James approached her, after she said she wanted in, she was more than happy to take the vow. Now, she could be doing something, since Fudge was hamstringing her Aurors. Budget cuts indeed. "I do," she answered with a nod. "It is amazing how much respect you get with goblins if you show that respect first. I do not get to speak to the ruler, but I can get in touch with some of the higher ranking goblins if I need to. Why?" she asked, hoping they were not going to ask her to break the rules of Gringotts. She worked hard to get her standing and didn't want to jeopardize that.

"I was thinking" James said, earning a sputter from his mates, who he glared at, "that Voldemort might have sent some of these _horcruxes_ with his followers. Do you think you can inform them that there might be cursed items in those vaults? See if they can retain or destroy them. I know in my agreement for my vault, it stated that I could never store an item that could harm the goblin nation. If what Lily says is correct, there is a possibility that one of these can possess a person and drain their soul and life to… I don't know… create a new Voldemort, then there would be two Dark Wankers running around," he explained as he went over in his head what the agreement said, making sure he covered the correct points.

"I'll warn them and ask them to let me know of the outcome," Amelia replied, already going over who to talk to and what to say without breaking her vow.

"That's a start," James said as he smiled at the woman. She might be a huge help later in this… conflict. "Okay, Lily has some great news for us." He beamed at his wife.

"Well, as you know, we've been studying how to get rid of these things without being possessed ourselves," Lily started, picking up her notes and going through them. "We think we've found a way using the dust we used to dispossess Quirrell. The problem we were having is what happens to the soul piece once it's out of the container. The research I have says that once bond is released, or the container is destroyed… the soul piece dies —unless there's someone or something around for it to possess. Which was the main problem, how to kill the piece and not get taken over at the same time." She laid her parchment down and cast a look around the table.

"Did you find a way? I mean we can destroy the containers, and that would be a shame seeing as how they are ancient artefacts, but we can do it. I, for one, don't want to be the new Voldemort," Sirius laughed, though no one else did, so he stopped.

Rolling her eyes at the prankster she continued, "We're thinking of putting the container in a warded room and using a fan to blow the dust to it. That way when the soul piece comes loose it will float around for a few seconds, get caught in the wards and die soon after."

"That, my dear wife, is simply brilliant," James said, getting up and hugging and kissing her. "You too, Albert, simply brilliant, but I'm not kissing you."

Everyone laughed for a minute and then got serious again as he retook his seat.

"On another topic, what are we going to do about Skeeter? The second trial and a week in low security Azkaban was a good start and she has backed off, for the moment. But, we all know she will be back, with a vengeance," Remus stated, always worried about his family.

"I don't know why that woman hates us so much," Lily said in disgust as her nose wrinkled like she smelled something bad. "I mean we've never done anything to her."

"You denied her a story," Augusta said simply. "How many times did you turn her down before she started printing untruths about you?"

"But, after what they said about us, we turned down everyone," the redhead said in a defensive voice. And they had. Well, after they realized that no one was listening to them in the first place. They had given a few interviews about what happened that night and were criticized in the paper as an unreliable source. They even gave one to Skeeter at the beginning and her story was the most vicious.

"Ah, but, our dear Ms. Skeeter feels she is special and should never be denied a story. That is why she makes things up about people. Her column was well sought after, and before the crystals were sold her words were taken as truths. Now, after your lawsuit and her prison time, the people are now thinking with more rational minds. She is on the low end of the totem pole, and she blames you," Ms. Longbottom stated, tapping her finger on the table to emphasize her point.

"Well, back to what we do about her, Gary thinks she's an _Animagus_. He has all the Mutineers looking out for her at Hogwarts," James said in a proud voice. He then turned to Amelia and asked, "Is there anything you can do?"

"Not unless we catch her. I don't have a way to check everyone who comes into the Ministry to see if they are illegal _Animagus_. Besides isn't that the pot calling the kettle black of you and your friend here?" the head of the DMLE inquired with a raised eyebrow, looking between the two Marauders.

James and Sirius blushed at the question; it was true they still hadn't registered. And now that they had important work to do they didn't plan on it. Padfoot would be invaluable at getting into places humans can't. Prongs might not work quite as well, but you never know. Remus just chuckled; he had warned them ages ago that their secret might get out. It was a good thing they all took that vow.

"Yeah… well… ummm… we promise that once Voldemort is gone for good, we'll register," Sirius said seriously. He knew it had to come to that and he didn't want his friend in the DMLE to be caught ignoring the law.

"Thank you," was all Amelia said. "Perhaps you can make me a map of the Ministry?" she asked hopefully.

"We could, but it will take a while. We have to be able to roam freely. We had Wormtail do all the scouting last time," Remus said, knowing he would be doing mostly spell work for that project. He was not welcome at the Ministry.

"Well, see what you can do. Any help would be appreciated," the Head of the DMLE sighed.

The meeting broke up soon after as they put the problem with Rita and the map on the back burner and all decided to ward their homes against _Animagus_ so as to not be caught unaware. As they were leaving James reminded them of the party the Potters were throwing on Boxing Day. They would have one or two meetings between now and then, but he didn't want anyone to double-book. He was happy when he got the confirmations from many. And on that note, the group left.

 ** _The same day Hogwarts, study hour in the Great Hall._**

The Mutineers and all their study-buddies were at the Hufflepuff table doing their homework. Harry and Gary were sitting with the Patil twins, Lavender, Susan and Hannah. They were talking about the new DADA professor. The Headmaster told them a week ago, that while Quirrell was alive, he was too traumatized to continue teacher. So they got _her_. And if Gary thought Dumbledore's favoritism was bad, but it was nothing compared to this woman's.

Her name was Professor Lauren Steele. She was a retired Auror, who only agreed to teach for this year. She was a very pretty older lady of forty-five; slender with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had retired early due to injury and was quite happy in her solitude. She was actually pretty good and they were learning a lot. The problem was that she was a Boy-Who-Lived fan and would treat Gary special.

Said boy was getting tired of it and complaining. "I can't seem to make her stop," the younger twin grumped as he slouched in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "I've tried and tried to get her to see that I'm just a student, but she keeps going on and on about how powerful I must be to have taken on such a powerful Dark Wizard." He really hated being mistaken for the savior. Sometimes he wished everyone would listen to his parents and just leave him and Harry alone.

"Poor Gary," Susan said mockingly, patting him on the head. While she did sympathize with her friend it was funny to watch the woman fawn all over him in class. "Whatever will you do, a pretty woman praising you over your every word and movement?" She gave him a wink he didn't understand, so she just sighed and patted his head again.

"You think it's funny, but have you seen some of the looks I'm getting from some of the other students. They're starting to think I'm not earning my grades. It's embarrassing," he defended himself. This was just the type of thing that he and Harry had been hoping to avoid; it could only end badly in the long run.

"Maybe you should talk to McGonagall and see if you can't get independent grading. She can make an announcement or something," Padma suggested. She too had seen the glares thrown Gary's way.

"Maybe, but I think Dumbledore will try and stop that. He seems to want the world to think I'm all powerful and stuff," the unfortunate boy said thoughtfully. _"What do you think, Harry?"_

 _"I think you should at least try."_ Harry glanced his way with an encouraging look.

"Or, maybe, you can get one of the new ghosts to haunt her and give her lectures about harassing students," Hannah giggled at her own suggestion. That would be a sight, a ghost following a professor around, preaching about proper teaching habits.

The rest of the group around her chuckled or giggled at the image.

"Seriously though, what am I going to do?" Gary continued his rant, still pouting and making wild gestures. "I don't want people thinking I'm getting privileges that I'm not. Then again I have no idea if she is grading me up or not. Should I complain to the Board? Or my parents? Can they do anything? Plus, she keeps bad mouthing Harry— in front of the class. She also tells me that I'm letting him hold me back, which she can't prove, because his grades are as good as if not better than mine. He is in Ravenclaw for crying out loud," he all but shouted, earning a look from Flitwick, who was monitoring this day.

The group could tell this was really bothering him, but didn't know what tell him, except to tell McGonagall.

"Maybe a letter to the Board wouldn't be a bad idea. You'll just have to word it correctly," Padma suggested as she tapped her quill on the parchment in front of her. " _If_ you can be professional and try not to sound like you are whining, I don't see why that wouldn't work."

"I can do that," Gary said with resignation. He hadn't wanted to write to them, because no matter how he worded it, it would come off as asking for a favor. "I think I'll go to McGonagall first. It'll be a test to see if she will actually help me. I mean, she's pretty deep in Dumbledore's pockets," he whispered to his friends, and then sat back up. "Yeah, she's my Head of House," he said in a louder voice. "She's supposed to help me." And with a decisive nod, he gathered his books and notes, stuffed them into his bag, and went to her office.

He knocked on the door and went in when he heard his teacher say, "Enter."

"Good afternoon, Professor," Gary greeted her as he took the chair in front of the well-organized desk she was sitting at.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. What brings you to my office?" McGonagall asked, after putting her grading aside.

"I'm having a problem, which really isn't a problem, but it really is, or could be," he stuttered out and then took a breath and started again. "You see, Professor Steele is giving me special treatment in class and she's bad mouthing Harry."

That caused the woman's lips to purse. "What are you asking?" she inquired, hoping the boy wasn't asking her for special favors. Not that he seemed like the type to do that, but the Headmaster said they should treat him exceptionally well.

"Well, I need it to stop," Gary said with a sigh as he slumped in his chair. "It's causing me difficulties with the other students."

"Oh, how so?" she asked, taking up a bit of parchment to jot this down.

"Well, one of the reasons it is causing issue, is the other students think I'm not being graded fairly."

"Yes, that could be a problem," McGonagall agreed, noting that down.

"And she goes on and on about how good I am when I don't even do any better than the rest of the class. Is there anyway her class can be… I don't know… monitored in secret or something? Or somehow have my grades done independently? I mean, I know she's only here until the end of the year. But, she is creating a breach with the rest of the first years and I don't know how to fix it." His voice and body language were showing a great deal of frustration.

"I had heard something along those lines," the formidable woman said as she adjusted her glasses, "and heard Professor Steele claim what a good student you were. However, I didn't know she was quite that… biased," she finished as her forehead creased with worry over one of her cubs so hindered.

"She is," Gary said with a nod.

"I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise you anything. Fortunately, your class is in one of my off periods. I can observe it, because I am the Deputy Headmistress. I want to thank you for bringing this to my attention and not trying to fix it yourself. Your parents will be proud," the teacher said with a nod of her head and a slightly pitied look in her eyes.

"Okay, thanks, Professor. I'll wait and see what happens, but if you can't solve it I'm taking it to the Board," the messy haired pre-teen stated firmly. "I might write them a quick note anyway, just as a precaution."

"Do what you must, but for now off you go. Leave the rest to me, Mr. Potter," the Deputy Headmistress stated firmly, not wanting any more issue with the Board, but seeing the young man's point of view. She just hoped he kept it formal.

"Bye, Professor," Gary said as he gathered up his bag and went out the door. He headed back to the Great Hall and rejoined the group. He relayed what she said and with nods all around they went back to their homework. He wrote a small letter to tell the Board what was happening, what was being done and what he feared might prevent him and his brother from being graded fairly.

 **Hphphp**

A few days later during the DADA, they were working on the tripping jinx. Everyone was still trying to get it right and Gary was downplaying his ability— especially in this class. He made sure to get the wand movements incorrect and was fumbling right along with everyone else. After about ten minutes, three other students got it right and were awarded two points each.

The non-Boy-Who-Lived felt this was a good time to do his right, so he did. He was awarded ten points, with the added comment that his brother was holding him back or he would have been first. The glares he received made him blush with embarrassment.

Then out of the shadows stepped Professor McGonagall.

"Never in all my years of teaching, with exception of one other, have I seen such a blatant act of partiality. Tell me, Professor Steele, why did you award Mr. Potter more points than the other students? He was not even the first to achieve the goal. And why are you ridiculing a student? That is against the rules you signed when you took this post," she stated, looking over the top of her glasses and tapping her foot in agitation.

The students looked on with smiles or open-mouthed awe. They had never seen McGonagall tear down another teacher, though they had hoped the first time would be Snape.

"He is the Boy-Who-Lived," Professor Steele said as if it were obvious.

"And?"

"He deserves the extra points. His brother must be the reason he is not doing well, it was in the Prophet after all," the woman said, truly confused as to why that would even be questioned.

The Deputy Headmistress sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, making her glasses ride up. "Mr. Potter is a student —nothing more," she said sharply. "If this is how you award points to him, all of his tests and homework will need to be re-graded, to make sure he is receiving correct marks. His brother's as well. You will desist awarding him points at all, unless he is the first to achieve whatever is assigned. You will leave his brother alone. I will be monitoring the award sheet from now on." The Transfiguration professor glared at the younger woman.

Gary gave a huge sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Professor, I've been telling her that for ages."

"It is not a problem, Mr. Potter. It is good you came to me to discuss this. The rest of you should also go to you Head of House if you see something like this happen again. Mr. Potter has expressed time and time again that he, and his brother, wants no special treatment. You should heed his words and not words of gossip," the Head of Gryffindor chastised the class.

Some bent their head in shame. They had heard him complain about the special treatment he was receiving, but figured he was doing that to save face.

"But, but, he is the Boy-Who-Lived. He saved us all," the flabbergasted reply came. Professor Steele did not understand why her hero wasn't being treated as he should.

"Professor Steele, please keep your worship outside of the classroom." McGonagall could see this was something that went far beyond a little bias; this woman could start a cult if she wanted to. It was a good thing they only had to put up with her one more term, Christmas was coming; maybe, she could talk to Albus about finding someone else.

The Professor's proclamations also showed the other students just how nuts their teacher was. They decided to start looking beyond the gossip from now on.

The retired Auror glared at McGonagall, she was not happy to have her privilege taken away. She was going to go to the Headmaster about this. He promised her that she could run her class the way she wanted. She huffed and sat at her desk. She would run her class as she saw fit, until Dumbledore told her otherwise. Still, she could see the glares from the other students, that used to be directed elsewhere, were now on her.

 **Hphphp**

Gary's and Harry's tests and homework were re-graded and Gary lost a few marks and Harry gained a few, but nothing too bad. The professor continued to lavish praise on his poor head, with the Headmaster's blessing. However, she couldn't award points, nothing she said gave her back that right. She took it to the Board, but because of Gary's letter, her privilege was denied. Gary made sure to never be first in her class, and Harry did the exact opposite. She couldn't speak ill of Harry after being berated in front of her class and the Headmaster stated that it could alienate Gary more. That and she didn't want to get fired over some mediocre first year.

The rest of the quarter went off with little drama and soon enough the gossip turned from the Boy-Who-Lived to who was breaking up with who, and other such teenage drama. It helped the Parvati and Lavender were spreading those tales as fast as they could. Then talks turned to the coming holiday and what everyone was going to be doing over the break. Harry and Gary made sure to remind everyone of their party on Boxing Day.

 **Time Skip**

The Christmas break had been great, they played many games and went sledding almost every day. If one of the Mutineers wasn't at their house, they were visiting them. Daphne and Susan seemed to come over quite a bit, which confused Harry, because Daphne didn't like outdoor games. She would just sit and watch the boys play. He asked her why, but she just blushed and said she liked spending time with him, which in turn caused him to blush. Susan would bring Hannah and they would join the twins. They were both very good a snowball fights and had no problems keeping up with the boys.

Soon enough it was Christmas and the Potters had a quiet celebration with just family. They kept the gifts simple and the meal was a small affair, since they were having a big party the next day. They all went to bed early and the house elves were frantically decorating for the festivities. Lily and the boys would help when they woke, but the hyper little creatures hated to wait.

 ** _December 26, 1991 Potter Manor_**

When the Potters woke on Boxing Day, the entire manor was decorated, which frustrated Lily something fierce. She had wanted to help.

The house was decked out in simple holly, ivy and mistletoe wreathes. There were also laurels and bells swathed along the ceilings. Candles were floating all about the halls and in the ballroom and dining room. Gold and white cloths were draped on all the tables with elaborate Christmas crackers scattered for anyone to choose from. Food and drink would be on those tables later in the day, but for now they were empty. Music crystals filled the air with dance music for those who wanted to make use of the ballroom.

The Missus of the manor made sure to thank the tiny beings for doing such a great job, even as she complained to James that she didn't get to do anything.

They all ate a nice breakfast eggs and soldiers, and played until around noon, then they went to prepare for the night. It wasn't the first party they had, but there were a few politicians that were coming that had never been invited before. One was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who had told them he could only stay for a short while, because he was also invited to the Malfoys' party.

It was just after 3 p.m. and the Potters were all dressed up in their finest waiting for their guests to arrive. Lily and Harry were in the Floo room and James and Gary were at the front door. Sirius and Remus were in ballroom to show those who entered where they could sit or what was on the buffet table.

James wore an open front plain black robe over a black suit with white button up shirt and bowtie, which he kept fussing with. Gary and Harry were just as formal in identical dark blue suits with light blue button up shirts, dark blue bowties, and black robes. Lily was wearing a floor length formal salmon gown, which was a simple cut of tight bodice and straight skirt, with a lavender open front robe.

The Potters were never about flare, they were down to earth folks that once in a while dolled up, but that was it. Finding them out of their jeans and t-shirts was a hard-pressed thing to do. Well, except for school and going to the Wizengamot, but those were uniforms so they didn't count.

The way they dressed tonight might offend some of their guests, because though they did look elegant, the clothes they wore were a mix of non-magical and wizard. However, that was the statement they wanted to make, so it was okay if some old biddy's sensibilities were ruffled. As long as they were polite and didn't say anything offensive, they should be acceptable.

A few carriages started pulling up, the Floo started flaring, and pops of _Disapparation_ could be heard. Some people were walking up the pathways, and there was even a car or five —the guests had arrived. James and Gary greeted each person with a hand shake or kiss on the knuckles. They would then have a house elf show them to the ballroom. Lily would kiss cheeks and Harry would do the handshakes or knuckle-kisses. After about an hour the door was left manned by Tilly, and the Potters joined their guests. The Floo was staffed by the other house elf, Taffy.

As they entered the ballroom, they took flutes of champagne, or butterbeer, and James cast the _Sonorus_ and said in a soft voice, "Happy Christmas, one and all. Thank you for joining our celebration. I hope your festivities went well yesterday, and that all your wishes came true. Please, feel free to take part in the buffet, the wassail or champagne. Mingle, dance and have fun. Thank you." He silenced the spell, and started to talk among his peers. Lily joined the mothers that were gathered together and the twins made a beeline for the Mutineers.

"So, how long do we have to stay with the adults?" Spencer asked. He was a quiet boy who had been with the Potters all through primary. He was slotted for Ravenclaw when he went to Hogwarts next year.

"Dad said at least until dinner," Harry answered, and was greeted with a lot of moans and groans for his trouble. "Good news is that's in about a half an hour."

This brought smiles to the kids' faces.

"Yeah, so try not to fill up now," Gary added with a smirk. "I should warn you that a lot of adults might be coming in and out all night. Not everyone invited has ever seen the room. So no talking about Mutineer stuff," he added with a wink.

Nods or confused looks were given at that little tidbit.

"What kind of Mutineer stuff shouldn't we talk about?" Leeann asked curiously. She was part of the pro-Dumbledore group so wasn't privy to a lot of information.

"You know stuff that would bore the adults," Parvati improvised. "Like our study group or homework. Boring stuff. We should keep it to what's going on at the school and what's new in fashion. By the way, I love that dress. Where did you get it? I wish I could pull off something like that," she fawned, leading the topic to fashion.

"Or we could talk about what we got for Christmas, but right now we have to be formal and talk with the adults. Padfoot said let them pick the topic and try to stay polite," Harry said with a bored look. He hated politicians as they always toadied over Gary and ignored him, like an eleven year old would boost their career.

"We should rejoin our parents now and regroup after dinner," Padma said, grabbing her sister's hand and started weaving through the crowd.

The kids split up and did just that. This time Gary joined his mum and Harry went reluctantly to James. Not that he didn't like his dad, but the older Potter was surrounded by the old geezers from the Wizengamot and Harry knew it was going to be a boring wait.

"Oh, and this must be young Gary," said the Minster, still holding his bowler hat as he watched Harry approach with a glint in his eyes.

James took a quick look at the scar and said, "No, Minister, this is his twin, Harry. Harry, say hello to the Minister."

"Hello, Minister Fudge. How are you this evening?" came the reply as Harry politely held out his hand in greeting.

"Very well, very well indeed," Fudge said, shaking the hand vigorously. "It is not every day one gets invited to the Potters, no, not every day. A good evening indeed. Thank you for asking, young Harry," he enthused, not showing his disappointment about meeting the wrong twin. He didn't want to alienate James, because though he took Malfoy's money, Potter could drum him right out of office. This man single-handedly had half the Wizengamot in his pocket without spending a Knut to do it. With the greeting out of the way Fudge turned back to James and said, "While, it has been a delightful time. I really must be off. I told Lucius that I would be there for dinner and I mustn't be late."

James shook the Minister's hand and said, "It was a pleasure having you, Cornelius, perhaps next year you could stay for dinner with us."

"Perhaps," the Minister said. And he put on his bowler and left.

James and Harry made sure not to sigh as they turned their attention to the remaining politicians. Talks went on about laws and there was a heated argument over the Muggle Protection Bill. James finally put an end to that, stating this was not the time or place.

Harry decided to let the adults talk and rambled nonsense to his brother via their link, which made Gary laugh and his mum glare.

 **Hphphp**

At 4:30 p.m. a house elf came and informed them that dinner was served. The guests 'ohhed' and 'ahhed' when they first walked into the room. They were greeted with two long tables, dressed up in white and gold tablecloths, with candelabras spaced between every six chairs. It was the floral centerpieces that caught the women's eyes, and they fawned over them as they took their seats. Each table could hold twenty-five people. In the back of the room were two smaller tables with glass globes instead of candle stands. Thank Merlin for expanding charms.

The dishes set around the tables consisted of; roast turkey, goose, chicken, and duck served with stuffing and gravy. There were also sides of; pigs in blankets, devils on horseback, roasted chestnuts, cranberry sauce and redcurrant jelly, bread sauce, boiled, mashed and roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and parsnips.

Everyone exclaimed over the lovely set up as they took their seats, and soon light talk was heard all around the tables. Mothers talked of childrearing, other women talked of fashion, and the men talked of work or Quidditch. The kids keep it to fashion, yesterday's festivities and school work.

Soon pudding appeared and this entailed; Trifle, mince pies, Christmas cake and pudding, brandy butter, or cream for the kids, and a Yule log.

Soon everyone's bellies were full and the diners divided into groups and went to separate rooms. Some couples made use of the dance floor, commenting on the handiness of the crystals and the wonder of the beautiful waltzes that were playing.

The children went to the game room most lost their robes, jackets and ties upon entering. There were only two or three kids there that weren't part of the Mutineers, and the gang had no problem showing them what everything in the room was for.

Gary, Harry, Padma, Neville, Susan and Mandy were all grouped on the couches.

"Thanks for the broom, you guys. You didn't have to get me one you know, the book on the Amazon Jungle was enough. Besides, I already have two," Neville said with a smirk.

"You know how it is, one group present and then special ones. We even bought Ron and Seamus one so they couldn't complain that we were sucking up to their siblings. Can you imagine the complaining we would hear if they were the only ones in the dorm not to get a broom? I mean, even Dean got one," Gary explained with a twinkle in his eye.

"Besides, it's not like they're top of the line or anything. They're only Comet Sweeps," huffed Harry as he sat back on the couch.

"Yeah, I heard the Weasley twins complain how hard it was to play Quidditch on their old brooms, so…" Gary added with a shrug.

"You two are so thoughtful. I, for one, am glad for the new broom. Auntie wouldn't let me get one until next year. She still won't let me take it to school, but I rode it all day yesterday. So thanks from me too," Susan said as sat between the twins and gave them both a one armed hug. She made sure to linger over Gary, but the meaning was lost to him.

"I really don't like flying," Padma said with a small lift of her shoulder, "but I know brooms can be useful, so thanks."

"Did you enjoy the books we sent you?" Harry asked, hoping to move the conversation along.

"Yes," came four responses.

"That one you sent me on Wicca tradition was really good. I was up all night reading it. Even after all we've learned on the Internet there is still so much about that religion that I don't know," Mandy said with a bright smile. She was always interested in other cultures and could be found on the computer most of the time. Her parents had to lock the study in their home at night so she would not stay up all night researching.

"I think that is because it is still so new and is still evolving," Padma guessed, tapping her finger on her chin in thought. "I know it comes from an old religion, but they are trying to adapt it to modern times."

"Let's not talk religion," Gary suggested, holding up his hands, if there was one thing he learned about parties it was never talk about religion or politics. "I'm going to go and show the two new kids what a computer is for. Why don't you guys talk about the rest of you gifts?" And with that he got up and wandered over to the two lost looking teens that were just standing off to the side like they were afraid to touch anything.

As he approached the two he held out his hand and greeted them, "Hi. I'm Gary Potter," he said, ignoring the gasp and the quick looks at his scar, "welcome to Potter Manor."

"Hello, I'm Lewis Hawkinstomp and this is my sister Ellie. Our grandfather knows your father from the Wizengamot. He was ever so ecstatic for being invited," the tall boy said, taking Gary's hand. "May I ask, what all this stuff is?" he inquired, waving at all the gadgets, TVs and computers.

"Well, I don't know if you were told, but this is a magic null room. It's where we play games, do our homework, watch movies or just cruise the Internet. Here let me show you the computer," he said and taking their elbows gently guided the nervous siblings to the computer area. "As you can see we have five computers, we use to have more, but when people started setting up their own rooms, we gave a few to charity. Here sit here Lewis, Ellie you stand behind him," he suggested, setting them on the farthest computer away from the other kids.

"Okay," Lewis drew out, not sure what to do with the blank machine in front of him.

"Okay, I'm going to turn it on and a picture is going to show on this blank looking glass. So don't freak out or anything," Gary said as he pushed in the power button, and then sat in the chair next to Lewis. After a few seconds a log in screen came to view, and he put in the user name and password. Then a nice Christmas picture filled the screen, a country house in the snow. "Okay, just let me pull up the Internet and I will show you how cool this is." Once the browser window popped up he said, "Name one thing about Muggles you always wanted to know."

"Ummm… well… ummm, I always wanted to know how they dressed. So, you know, I can blend in when we go out to the Muggle world. Not that we've done that yet, but it might happen," Ellie said, twisting her hands in front of her, not wanting to sound petty to the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Very smart, you'd be surprised at how some wizards dress," Gary smiled at the flustered young girl. "Okay, so I'm thinking you want modern teen girl fashion. Here let me pull it up," he said, typing away in the search bar.

Seconds later, links started to fill the monitor. Gary explained what they were and how to click on them and guided them to one that stated it was for school fashion. After clicking the link the page showed girls in jeans, slacks and casual shirts. Ellie looked on with wonder, leaning over her brother's shoulder to get a closer look. Then the younger Potter showed her how to get back to the search page and linked her to summer dresses. While she was getting into the clothes, Gary took Lewis to another computer and showed him the non-magical sports.

The younger twin watched the two play on the Internet until their granddad came and pulled them away. He told them about libraries, so if they couldn't get computers of their own, they could go there.

The messy-haired Gryffindor rejoined his Ravenclaw brother and said, "Two more into the fold."

Harry laughed and smacked his twin's shoulder. "Come on, the party is breaking up and we have to put our ties and robes back on and see the guests out," he said, picking up said items and putting them back on.

Gary groaned, but joined him all the same.

This time Lily and Gary were manning the door, while James and Harry were attending the Floo room, Sirius and Remus had already left to go and party at the pubs. After seeing all the guests out, it was just the Potters and they all climbed the stairs wearily and got ready for bed. Lily went into Gary's room and sat on his bed.

"Did you have a good night?" she asked, brushing the hair from his forehead, wishing he would still let her hug and kiss him goodnight.

"Yeah," Gary replied tiredly, "I think I got two more pure-bloods hooked on computers."

"Really? Who?"

"The Hawkinstomps. The boy's in Hufflepuff, a few years above me and Harry. The girl's in Ravenclaw, a year above us. They said their grandpa works with Dad," he answered, giving a huge yawn and snuggling down in his pillow.

"Yes, I remember meeting him tonight, and you might be right. He was asking about our 'Muggle' stuff," his mum said thoughtfully, ruffling his bangs into his eyes, which cause him to tiredly swat at her hand.

"I'm tired, Mum. It is a good thing Sally let us have a few days off. Too bad she doesn't celebrate the Holidays," the exhausted boy complained, once more snuggling into his pillow.

"Alright, sweetie, don't forget your crystal. Soon you guys will be ready for your _Animagus_ training. Did the Mutineers ever vote on that?" Lily asked out of the blue as she stroked his hair.

"Where did that come from?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"I was talking with Amelia about it, and she thinks it's a good idea, as long as you register. She did say she might hold off on that until the Dork Lord is taken care of, but after that… well, you get the point. Anyway did you get it all decided?" she asked as she got off the bed.

"Yeah, we figured that it was too good of an opportunity to pass on," Gary said with a yawn as he rolled over and started his crystal.

When he rolled back onto his back, Lily leaned over and gave his forehead a quick kiss and left before he could complain.

She met James in the hall and leaned tiredly against him. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "Poor, Lily-flower, all tuckered out. It was only a party, how did you get so tired?"

"Do you realize how boring most of those people are? There's only so much fashion I can talk about. I don't even like witches fashion," she complained, using her free arm to smack his chest. She gave a yawn and then said, "Gary said they voted on trying _Animagus_ training. I was thinking this summer?"

"I'll get with Padfoot, and we'll set up a schedule," he said, kissing her hair again. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get you to bed."

A big yawn was his answer as he guided her to their bedroom and as he closed the door he couldn't help but think that it was a successful party.


	23. Friendship, Rivalry Love?

**Chapter 23 Friendship, Rivalry and… Love?**

 **Thanks to my beta, darrelldeam, for going over this for me. All mistakes left are my own. Remember the rewrite doesn't have a beta.**

 **I woke up early and so you get two chapters again today. I only read over this one three times, so there may be mistakes.**

 _Not much changed, other than combining two chapters. I did tone Dumbledore down a bit and put him back to the way I see him. And I cut a lot of nonsense out._

 _There is a major time skip and a bit of pre-teen romance at the end. Nothing heavy, they are far too young for that._

 **Hphphp**

 **January 5, 1992**

Harry and Gary were headed to the Great Hall for their normal study hour, when Draco Malfoy approached them. He seemed nervous, but his pace was sure and steady. "I've been meaning to talk to you two. I received a letter from my father to form an association with you. I was wondering if we had any common grounds to start with," the young blond said in his normal stuck up voice, though you could hear the anxiety in it. It was faint but there.

"Sure, Draco, you've done nothing to make us dislike you," Harry said with a small smile to put the boy at ease. And he hadn't; after the talk on the train they hadn't heard anything bad from this pure-blood. "Though I'm not sure how a relationship will work if it is on orders from your dad, but we can give it a go."

Gary looked at the other boy warily. He didn't trust Malfoy Sr. but they had so far not caused conflict with anyone and it would be bad to break the mold now.

"Well, I know we don't and probably never will agree about Mud… Muggleborns. So I was thinking we could discuss Quidditch and whether it is true that you two will be trying out for the teams next year," Draco said, relaxing his defensive stance.

"Well," Gary said with a side-long look at his brother. "It really is up to whether or not we get good grades. Mum says if we don't get in the top twenty then there's no way she'll let us play." He quickly thought to his brother, _"What do you think? I mean, does he really want to be friends, or it is just his father's orders?"_

 _"It's kinda hard to tell,"_ Harry thought back, _"but, I'd hate to disregard a son for the sins of his father."_

 _"You're right, we'll play it by ear,"_ Gary projected as he kept up the talk with the first year Slytherin.

"Really?" Malfoy asked getting excited. "Which position?"

"Seeker," they both replied.

"Me too," the young blond said excitedly. "Father said the same as your mum. I have to do well in my studies and he would get me a new broom, just to try out."

"That's great, Malfoy," Harry replied with a nod of his head. Their parents had said the same. He looked at his watch and said, "We've got to get going, how about we talk about this tomorrow at an earlier time?" he offered politely.

"I can't," Gary said with a shake of his head. "I promised Dean that I would help him with his Transfiguration tomorrow." He shrugged and sent an apologetic look to the other two boys.

"It's okay, Gary, I'm sure we can carry on a conversation without you." He smirked at his brother.

"Prat," Gary said, shoving his twin's shoulder.

Draco looked on wistfully; he had always wanted a sibling. His father was content with one child though.

The three parted and Harry and Draco did have their talk the next day. Though it didn't stay with Quidditch, somehow politics was brought up, but there were only discussions and no arguing. They agreed to disagree and parted good-naturedly. Little did they know, they were being observed, not that Harry cared. He could make friends, or acquaintances, with whomever he wanted.

 **Hphphp**

It was about two weeks after the break when Professor Flitwick came and gave Harry a note that stated that the Headmaster wanted to see him after dinner and that he had enjoyed a good piece of fudge over the holidays. Having talked to Gary about the strange note, he was told that was probably the password. He, of course, asked his Head of House to accompany him.

The diminutive professor came to him when afters were finished. They made small talk about Charms, and how Harry was doing in that class on the way to the office. After giving the password and going up the winding stairs, Harry took a deep breath and knocked. Upon hearing 'Enter' both professor and student went into the office.

Dumbledore was sitting, as always, behind his cluttered desk. "Ah, Harry come in, come in. Please, have a seat. Thank you for bringing him, Filius, you may leave," the old man said, waving Harry into the office, but giving Flitwick a dismissive look.

Harry took the chair on the right and sat straight with no slouching and not relaxed as his brother had. He wanted to come off as proper as he could, so this man would have no reason to ridicule him.

"You know better than that, Albus. I will stay with my student," Flitwick said, taking a seat next to the boy in question.

"Of course, though it saddens me so that young Harry doesn't trust me," Dumbledore said in a disappointed voice as he looked over the frames of his spectacles.

"Can you really blame me, sir? After all you did try and make me and Gary squibs," Harry said and noted the genuine surprise that flitted across the Headmaster's face. Maybe he really didn't understand magical twin bonds.

"I don't understand, Harry, my boy. I would never want to hurt you or your brother," the old man stated, rubbing his beard in confusion as hurt was mixed with surprise in that grandfatherly voice. Dumbledore wondered if what Harry said was true. If it was then things would have to be rethought.

"If you had listened to my mother when you tried to separate us at a young age, you would have known that tearing us apart would have strained our magic. It would have continued to search for the missing twin. If the distance was great, and had you succeeded it would have been, then the tension would have been too much and it would have left us as squibs," Harry explained, hoping this man finally got it through his head and left his family alone. He doubted it, but one could hope.

"Would that happen were you to be separated now?" the Headmaster asked then holding up his hands at the affronted faces in front of him. "Not that I want to do that, just an old man's curiosity," he quickly backtracked.

"It would happen even faster now. Gary and I are very tightly bound," Harry said in a very firm voice, his eyes narrowing at that manipulative man in front of him. He really hated that Dumbledore as so set in his ways and thought he was always right. It was just so darn frustrating.

"Well, on to other topics. I noticed that there are quite a few Slytherins in your study group. Are you sure that is wise?" Albus asked in a kind voice that was full of concern.

"I thought you wanted the Houses to get along, Headmaster? I don't understand what the issue is," the messy-haired first year stated. He glanced at his Head of House and noted he also had a curious look about him.

"Oh, I do, truly. I think it is wonderful that you are getting on so well with all the Houses. My concern is that someone may think you, my boy, are going Dark. After all these are well known families that are not, as they say, on the Light side," Dumbledore explained as if it were obvious.

"Nor are they Dark," was the rebuttal. "All of those students' families in our group are Neutral and have been for centuries. They do their best to stay out of the wars and promote peace," Harry said, defending his friends and study-buddies. Most of the Slytherins that were in the study group were half-bloods and had a hard time in their House. The group was a reprieve for them.

"I also noted that you had a conversation with young Draco. Would you care to tell me what it was about?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward. He was still very unsure over the boy in front of him and if the child was 'hanging around' darker element, it might not bode well for Gary. It would not do for the Boy-Who-Lived's brother to be seen with the Malfoy's son.

He'd have to do research on the twin bond, if what young Harry said was true then perhaps he would have to stop trying to separate them. At least until he could find a way to prevent Gary from becoming a squib. He was still certain that the bond would lessen Gary's power, the boys' grades and performance in their classes confirmed his belief.

"Not that it is any of your business," the young boy all but snapped, trying to keep his tone polite, "but Draco and I were merely discussing Quidditch and political points of views. He is still under the impression that Muggleborns should not be invited to the Wizarding World, and I tried to dissuade him of that notion. We agreed to disagree and parted amicably," he stated with a shrug. He had actually invited Draco to come and visit over the summer, but was turned down.

"Be that as it may, it might make your brother look bad that he is seen consorting with a non-Light family," Dumbledore said, looking at him in mild reproof.

"Headmaster, you do not have a say in who my brother and I decided to 'consort' with. Most of the people in our group have been friends with us for years, and we are not about to abandon them now that they are sorted into Slytherin. All Houses are welcome to study with us. And if we decide that we want to try and make pure-bloods see that they are wrong, where is the harm in that?" It was the note of finality in Harry's voice that caused the Headmaster's shoulders to slump in defeat. The elder twin had kept his speech formal throughout so that he would be taken seriously.

"Albus, you know better. I would have never thought you would stoop so low as to dictate who any of your students could befriend. It is outside your role as Headmaster," Professor Flitwick finally joined the conversation.

"Alas, it was not a dictation, merely a suggestion. You are correct and I apologize to you, young Harry, that is not what I meant it to come across as," the old man said, making placating gestures. Though you could see there was no twinkle in his eyes.

"I don't really trust you, sir, but I accept your apology. I still think you are trying to split me and Gary up, to try and make sure I don't 'steal' his power. If I were you, I would stop trying. It is not going to work," Harry said as he stood headed for the door.

Flitwick threw a hard look at his employer and followed his student.

Harry told his brother mentally about the meeting, and they decided that they would start to hang out together more.

 **Hphphp**

Later that week one of Sally's ghost scouts came to Harry and told him about what Dumbledore tried to push in the Board meeting.

"He tried to get a rule passed, that none of the Houses could study together outside their own House," the veteran ghost said. He was dressed in a British type military uniform. You could see the hole in his shoulder where he had bleed out, because he was too far away from any one to get help.

"How did the Board take it?" Harry asked, sitting on his bed in his green pajamas. He had just been getting ready to put on his crystal when the spirit floated through his bed hangings.

"There was quite a bit of arguing for a while. It was Lucius Malfoy that settled it all, stating that they didn't have the right to do so. And wasn't the Headmaster going against his own preaching? Never would have thought old Lucius woulda had it in him. He's usually the one trying to separate the Houses more. Wonder what changed?" the old soul said, rubbing his chin with long thin fingers.

"Thanks for that bit of information. I'll let my parents know tomorrow, and we'll act accordingly. I'm too tired to play the Headmaster's game tonight," Harry said, knowing it was because the man wanted Draco to be friends with the Boy-Who-Lived.

The ghost said its goodnight's and left the way he came.

The dark-haired first year sighed, turned on his crystal and settled down into his pillow.

 **Hphphp**

The next day, after Harry told his parents what the ghost said, was uneventful. The Potter adults told him not to worry about it; they'd take care of the Board.

The study group was once again at the Hufflepuff table and there was quite a bit of chattering. Daphne brought up the subject about when they were going to start the practical part of their studies. She felt she had a firm grip on theory and wanted to start casting outside of class.

"What do you think, Harry?" Gary asked, when she posed the question.

"Well, one of us should go and talk to McGonagall. She can get us a room or tell us where we can go. I believe she has all the schedules for all the clubs. It's kinda her job to keep all that organized. I don't think we should ask the Headmaster, he might try and deny us access," Harry said, tapping his finger on the table in front of him, deep in thought. _"I don't want to use the Come and Go Room,"_ he thought to Gary, _"It would be seen as sneaking around and we want to prevent that."_

 _"I agree."_

"Why would he do that?" Daphne asked, tilting her blond head to the side. She was sitting on Harry's right and Gary was on his left.

"Well, let's just say a little bird told me that he tried to break up our study group and leave it at that for now," Harry explained vaguely. He gave Daphne a small wink and mouthed 'later' and turned back to his brother. "You should take a few people and ask the Deputy Head. Don't go by yourself or it might look like your trying to get in a favor. Or wait, we'll take a vote to see who'll go. We can make it a group effort with no leader, per se," he said. After what happened in Defense and the conversation he had with the old man, he didn't want to give anyone anything that could be used against them.

Professor Steele was still teaching and she still looked at him darkly. It was a good thing she was monitored by one of the Halloween ghosts. Sally did good bringing all of them here; they did so much more than the House ghosts did. Though Death was putting the fear of… death into them and they were doing less whining and being more active with their Houses.

"That is a wonderful idea, Harry," Padma said from across from him. She had been following the topic while doing her Potions homework.

"Okay then, Daphne, your handwriting is better. Could you, please, write a note asking the question and pass it down the table? Remember to put that me and Gary don't want to go. If anyone asks tell them to mirror call us tonight and we'll explain why. Try and be discreet," he said in a whisper.

So she did and soon enough the vote came in that Susan, Dean, Terry and Tracey would ask for a room. They decided it would be the next day during study period.

That night was filled with mirror calls, first a few people asked Gary and Harry why they didn't want to join the group going to McGonagall. Then those people called other people and so on. By the end of the night every Mutineer, and then some, knew what was going on between some of the staff, including Dumbledore, and the Potter twins. Well not everything, but they had a general idea that the old man was trying to keep them apart, again, and the DADA teacher was still bias. This action formed a stronger public opinion for the twins and they had many more supporters.

 **Hphphp**

Towards the end of study hour the next day, Susan came and sat next to Gary. "She was real supportive," she started, perhaps sitting a little closer to Gary than necessary, which made Gary fidget and move away from her, causing the young girl to pout. "She said we can use the old Charms classroom, but we have to talk to the professors and see if one of them will be in there with us. She doesn't want us to practice without adult supervision, though she did say if none of them had time we could ask the Head boy or girl. I was thinking Sprout or Flitwick."

"Or maybe, we should ask one of the other teachers that don't have two positions. That and I think we should ask one of the ghosts as well. I mean, they aren't doing anything," Daphne said in her place next to Harry.

"Marvelous idea, Daphne," Harry said with a smile, causing the girl to blush lightly.

The same committee was dispersed to ask the professors and ghosts. Those that weren't Head of Houses were more than happy to help. The spirits lingered in the room when spells weren't being cast, and they would report to a teacher if things got out of hand. So the group started working on their practical every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday before dinner. That left the weekends still open for leisure. Everyone was happy with that arrangement.

 ** _A time skip with short narrative_**

The rest of the year was uneventful; no new rumors floated, and the Headmaster left Gary and Harry alone. They didn't expect it to last next year, but they had kept their noses clean and gave him no ammunition. Though their study group had grown quite a bit, there were no new Mutineers. They did invite some of the new people to come and play in the game room and with all the good things said about it, they had many takers. The Potter manor would see lots of traffic this summer.

Minor pranks were played, nothing too embarrassing, just enough to get a laugh out of everyone and keep the relationships they were trying for going. Things like hair color changes or robes shorted. They kept the pranks in-group for now, so they couldn't be accused of targeting anyone. They even reined the Weasley twins in.

The boys finished in the top fifteen of their class with tie scores. Harry was better in Defense and Gary topped in Transfiguration, this let some of the other Mutineers get ahead of them. They had planned it that way ages ago. The pro-security group knew why and took complete advantage of it.

Susan and the Weasley twins were inducted into secret group. They were given the basics in _Occlumency_ , which Susan already knew, and let in on all the secrets. They were each given a new map and mirror.

Fred gave the old map to Lee Jordan, who was thrilled to have it. The Weasley twins had first asked the Marauders if they wanted it back, but were to give it away and keep the legend going. The redhead doubles were hoping that next year Lee would be a part of the Mutineers. This year the gang wasn't recruiting anyone, for fear of spies. 'Always remembering Peter', was the motto.

Gary had made a few ventures with some of the pure-bloods, always treating them as future business partners. Harry was even approached by a few and gave the same response. Draco had taken it rather well, especially after a letter from his father. That letter expressed that he was proud of the young blond for making acquaintance with the Boy-Who-Lived. They never became friends, just sociable associates.

The Hunters continued to look for the _horcruxes_ , but had yet to find another. They had a rough idea what a few might be, thanks to Augusta's teas. They knew they were looking for Founder items, they asked Sally to ask the Founders about them, but even the Founder spirits never knew what happened to them after they died.

Amelia did talk to the goblins, but that was sent to a committee of elders to be debated on. They were all hopeful that it would progress soon.

The Maunders decided to hold off on _Animagus_ training, until the youngest Mutineers had at least one year of Transfiguration under their belt.

 ** _July 11, 1992 Potter Manor_**

"Come on boys, everyone will be here soon," Lily called up the stairs. It seemed like she was forever saying that.

They were all leaving at 9 a.m. and it was 8:15 now. The family was taking a large group of wizard-raised kids and their parents to Chessington World of Adventures. It had been some busy weeks since the start of summer, which wizard-raised children and teens came to the house and looked on the Internet. They decided that it was time to take them to the Muggle World. It would be fun to see how they reacted to a theme park.

Most of the Mutineer kids decided that they would stay home this time and let the Potters deal with the wizard-raised, as long as pictures were taken. The gang would go on the boys' birthday. The Greengrass sisters, Tracey and Susan wanted to join this venture, since they were unable to join the birthday celebration this year. Their guardians were attending other business, and were more than happy to trust Lily and James with their children.

James and Sirius were paying for everyone to get in and food, but if anyone wanted to play the games or buy souvenirs then the person had to fend for themselves. They had explained the non-magical money system and hoped everyone remembered.

"Coming Mum/Lily" was the replies she got. The usual noise followed.

Harry came down first, dressed in tan shorts and a plain green t-shirt with sandals on his feet and sunglasses on his head. Gary trailed after him in dark brown shorts and a red t-shirt, also wearing sandals and sunglasses. James followed the boys down. He was attired in black trousers and a white polo shirt with white socks and trainers.

Lily, who was wearing a simple floral sun dress and sandals, huffed at them. "What took you so long?" she asked, guiding Harry into the kitchen to hurry him along. The other two followed, not wanting her to get more upset then she already was.

"We didn't want to look alike today, but we had to keep changing, because every time we came out of our rooms we were wearing similar outfits. Finally I said 'let me dress and then I'll come to you and you find something different' and it worked. Sorry, Mum," Harry said self-consciously. It was true, after dressing the same way for most of the year; they still hadn't got into the separate mind set. It was one of the pitfalls of the bond.

"I guess that makes sense, still you guys should've figured it out earlier. Why didn't you just do your twin thing and think it to each other?" She noticed their embarrassed looks and sighed, "Come on, let's eat." She didn't even ask James what took him so long, he probably had his heart set on a shirt he couldn't find.

They had a quick breakfast of tea and pastries, since there would be food where they were going so they didn't fill up.

At 8:30 a.m. people started arriving. When everyone was gathered, they made sure they were all dressed appropriately, slathered with sunblock, and that they had non-magical money and knew how to use it. Wands were to be left in purses or backpacks. They had been going to make them leave the wands behind, but there was too much protest.

Everyone chattered excitedly as they exited the manor and got into the bus that the Potters had rented for the day. The driver was a Muggleborn and was tickled to be driving such a large group of wizards. Plus, he was being paid for the day and could still enjoy the park. After many comments on how much more comfortable the seats in this bus compared to the Knight Bus, everyone finally settled.

When they arrived at the Park, the wizard-raised were in awe. They eyed the large crowd of non-magical people. _'Where did they all come from?'_ was the thought that flickered across many minds.

Lily assured them that this was not a special event, and that it was a weekend and this was the normal summer crowd for this type of venue. She also told them that this was a small fraction of people compared to the population of Britain. After a bit more on that discussion, they all stood off to the side of the ticket booth while James and Lily counted heads.

"Okay, we have sixteen adults, five over twelve and eighteen under, so that's thirty-nine all together." James counted and started going through his wallet for his credit card, which he had set up during the years the boys couldn't go into the wizarding areas. "Everyone stay here and stick together. Remus and Sirius have been here before so stay close to them." And he and Lily went to get the tickets. They were just glad they had called ahead to get the group rates.

When they brought them back, they noted that the group had splintered into smaller groups. So the boys and their godfathers must have told them there were different themes to the park. The more adventuresome people were with Sirius and the less hardy were with Remus. There was a third group of teens and pre-teens, which James would take around. Lily went with Remus.

"Okay, here are your tickets. If you want food we," he pointed to the Marauders and his wife, "have the money for that. If you want to play a game or buy a souvenir then you will have to pay for it yourselves. Ask one of us if you don't remember how to use the money. We'll meet at the map in the front at closing time. There are rest areas for those who for some reason get bored. If you splinter off from your group and get lost there are park employees that will take you to an area where they can call out to the park for us to find you, ask them for help," James said as he handed out tickets.

"Do not use your wands on anything," Lily warned as she noted a few wands sticking out. "You'll put the whole park in danger if you start casting spells. Emergencies only. Believe me when I say, you'll have a good time without magic."

The crowd grumbled a bit, but then looked at the wonder of the park and conceded the point. It did look fun. They took the tickets and went inside. They looked at the map and decided where they wanted to go. Remus' group went to the zoo first; they'd go to the kiddie rides when they were through there. Sirius' group went straight to the Transylvania area, to ride the roller coasters. While James' group decided to start with the Market Square and work their way up.

Harry, Gary, Susan, Tracey and Daphne decided to stick together. Though they didn't part from their group, they were off to the back. Harry and Gary were getting a kick out of the other teens' faces. Astoria went with Remus' group to the zoo, she wasn't a thrill seeker.

"So what do you think, Daphne?" Harry asked the blonde girl, who was dressing similar to him in tan shorts and a green top.

"This is wonderful, to think all of this and no magic. Are you sure the rides are safe? All that metal and noise makes me think they will break down any minute," she asked, giving a wary eye to the merry-go-round.

Tracey just grinned at her friend, she'd been before and tried to explain it all to her, but Daphne didn't believe it.

"Yeah, these rides have been operating for years. They make sure they're safe every night," Harry answered.

"I think they look like fun," Susan said as she bounced at Gary's side. She was also dress in shorts and top, but hers were in shades of pink. Neither girl got out in the sun very often as they both had pale white legs. Tracey, on the other hand, had a light tan. "Let's go on the merry-go-round, Gary," she said, turning to the twin with big pleading blue eyes.

"Sure," Gary said with a blush and took her hand and went to his dad to let him know where they'd be.

"Do you think those two will ever get together?" Daphne asked as her cheeks also dusted with a blush. Though it was very faint and could be put off to the heat. Her Ice Queen persona, which she used in Slytherin, was nowhere to be seen. She only used that personality in school to protect her and Tracey from the bullies, and never around the friends.

Tracey just grinned and decided to make herself scarce and joined the other teens to help with the guiding, then maybe her best friend could talk to her crush.

"Aren't we a little young to worry about that?" Harry replied quizzically, looking to the two who were now getting in line for the ride.

"Well, you do know girls mature faster than boys. I think Susan has her sights set on your brother," Daphne said also looking at the couple, and then wondered where Tracey went. She spotted her getting money for some food and turned back to Harry.

"Yeah, I know, but I don't think that we, Gary and I, are quite ready to be dating yet. Besides, we have the Dark Wanker out there still. Maybe, in a few years," Harry said. His cheeks now tinted pink as he ran his hand through his ever messy hair.

"Well, how about you and me stay close to one another today, in a non-date way, and you can see how you feel being around a girl?" the blond girl said slyly, taking a side-long peek at the embarrassed dark-haired boy next to her.

Harry shuffled his feet and rubbed his head some more. He knew this would happen someday, but thought it would be years from now. He never really gave thought to having a girlfriend. Daphne was sure cute enough and it might be fun.

"Sure, we can give it a try," he answered. And that's what they did. Harry even won her a stuffed panda in the games booth, which earned him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She kept that panda the rest of her life and considered it his first token of love. Girls are weird like that.

 ** _Meanwhile with Gary and Susan_**

Susan wasn't quite as subtle as Daphne; she took Gary's hand and said, "Today you and me are keeping each other company. You will be staying by my side and going on all the rides with me," she announced in a voice that stated there would be no argument.

"I will?" Gary asked then looked at her determined face and nodded his head and reiterated, "I will." He like Harry didn't think he would be dating girls until much later. Their dad had given them The Talk before they went to Hogwarts, but told them they had plenty of time and not to worry about all that. Their mum had told them that females weren't quite that patient. Now he could see his mum was right.

"Don't worry, Gary, we're just friends who are enjoying each other's company. My aunt won't let me date until I am at least thirteen," Susan said with a giggle. While she liked Gary, what she stated was true. Besides, the poor boy looked terrified.

The youngest Potter sighed with relief and enjoyed the rest of the ride. He and Susan did keep each other company the rest of the day, but made sure they interacted with all the kids. They didn't want anyone to think they were being left out.

 **Hphphp**

James looked at his sons and the girls accompanying them and smiled. _'Lily will get a kick out of this development,'_ he thought amused _._ And with that thought he turned his attention to the rest of his group, taking pictures and handing out money for food.

 **Hphphp**

The rest of the day was wonderful, no one got lost, no one used magic, though there were a few close calls, and everyone one had a great time. It was an exhausted, but excited group that went home that night.

"Do you think everyone had a good time," Lily asked as they were settling in one of the sitting rooms.

"I think they did," James answered, cuddling up to his wife and putting his feet on the coffee table, which were joined by hers, since both of their feet were achy. They had to do this again in a few weeks with the birthday boys and the Mutineers. "I saw the boys on dates today," he said with a chuckle, after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"You didn't," Lily rebutted with a giggle. "Harry told me firmly that it was a 'non-date'. That he was too young. I agreed with him," she said, giggling again and leaning back against James' chest.

"Darn, I didn't win the bet. I was hoping they'd take after me and find their true love when they were young," he said, relaxing into the back of the couch, trying not to let his eyes close.

"Silly man, they're too young. Maybe next year they'll start thinking about dating, but even then it'll be mild. Like some blushing, a lot of handholding, and maybe a kiss on the cheek. Quit trying to push them," Lily said also trying to keep her eyes open.

James kissed the top of her head and nodded sleepily into her hair. "Yes dear, whatever you say."

The two sat in silence and soon fell in to a comfortable sleep.

 ** _Meanwhile the boys were thinking_**

Gary was pondering the day. Susan had been surprisingly good company. She had wanted to go on all the same rides he did. He didn't think that girls would do that, though he should have known she would after all the fun they had this past Christmas. Still, most of the girls they had taken to the park had stuck with the merry-go-round and other simple rides, but not Susan. No, she wanted to go on the rollercoaster and other thrilling rides. Maybe, girls weren't so bad after all. But did she have to keep holding his hand?

Harry was thinking as well. He had a good time with Daphne, she didn't want to go on all the rides, but that was okay. He enjoyed playing the games and taking in the shows. They pretty much kept their distance without leaving each other's company. But there was no handholding and except for the hug and quick peck on the cheek he got for the panda, they really didn't touch one another. So he didn't understand why he blushed the whole day.

Soon the two boys drifted off to sleep with Pandora's voice echoing in the air, giving them sweet dreams of future relationships.

 **Hphphp**

 _A/N: I've never been out of the States, and though I've been to quite a few amusement parks in my day I've never been to one quite like_ Chessington World of Adventures, _so I am going off what the Internet says was available in the 90's._


	24. Summer Meetings and A New School Year

**Chapter 24 Summer Meetings and the New School Year**

 **Thanks to my beta, darrelldeam, for going over this for me. All mistakes left are my own. The rewrite is not betaed.**

 _This one is the combination of three chapters, making it super-long, but they were all very short. Plus I made them shorter by cutting large chunks of angst out. It is s a bit rushed, but I am trying to get four years of school in without making this an overly long story. Judging from the drop in numbers per chapter, I can't hold people's attention that long._

 _Okay, I've read it over five times, but it is long and the more I read it the longer it got, until I cut off over 1,500 words and tacked them onto the next chapter. So, while I'm still not totally happy with it, I'm moving on. I hope you enjoy it._

 _Remember the only pay I get is favorites, follows, adding to communities and reviews. Thanks to those who have already paid me. I do try and answer who I can, but like I stated before, my internet is crap._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _August 3, 1992_**

On the night of his birthday, Harry had gotten a strange visit from a house elf named Dobby. The excitable elf had warned him not to return to Hogwarts. He said bad things were going to happen and that Harry was in danger. Tilly and Tippy had chased the elf off before they could be more information, but it worried them enough to let the school. That was a difficult conversation. McGonagall wanted to know why the house elf came to Harry, but they couldn't answer that. Still she said she would take the warning to Dumbledore.

The Potters called a special meeting of all the Mutineers and their parents, only those that were against telling Dumbledore. They thought about telling the others, but that would be too risky, even with a vow. Sally said to keep to those in the know, because breaking simple vows was more common than one would believe. However, most people thought the breakers dropped dead from heart attacks. Since the boys and their guardians didn't want to take the chance, they followed that advice.

They decided to have the talk outside, to keep it less business like. It was a nice summer's day, though cooling charms were still used. Everyone sat at a large conjured round table with tea services scattered about every third person or so. The kids sat with their parents and a lot of them were catching up on what they'd been doing over the summer with those they hadn't seen.

When James stood and called out, "Can I have everyone's attention, please?" The crowd went silent and all heads turned to him. "Thank you, and thanks for coming on such short notice. Harry has something to say." And he indicated his son, who stood and shuffled his feet a little as everyone turned his way.

"I was going to bed the night of my birthday. When I got to my room, there was a house elf bouncing on my bed. I don't know who he belongs to, but his name is Dobby," he said with questioning eyebrow. There were lots of pure-bloods at the meeting, so maybe they would know who Dobby belonged to. And he was right.

Natalie Greengrass stood to be heard. "That's the Malfoy elf. Why would he be here? Your family is not affiliated with them?" she asked, while Daphne's eye went wide with worry.

"Well, Draco and I have a sorta an acquaintance thing going on, but that's not what this is about," Harry hedged, nodding his head in thanks for that important piece of information.

"Tell them what the elf said," Lily encouraged her son.

"He said that he came to warn me that something was going to happen at Hogwarts this year. Something bad and dangerous. He didn't want me to go back, he kept saying that it was too dangerous for me, but he did indicate that the whole school was in trouble, which is why we are having this meeting," the messy-haired boy said with a gesture stating that that was all he knew.

"We have to tell the school," quite a few voices said, loudly.

James raised his right hand and they stopped yelling. "It was the first thing we did," he said a bit harshly, all the while keeping his left hand on Lily's shoulder in case she was affronted by the accusation that they would endanger children.

"At least," Harry all but yelled, bringing the ashamed looks to him, "now we know to look out for anything Malfoy Sr. does. I don't want to blame a kid for anything, but Mr. Malfoy might give or say something to his son, so watch him as well," the messy-haired young man suggested reluctantly. He regained his seat and let the adults take over.

Everyone got a thoughtful look on their face. That family had been playing the good card lately. The adult Malfoys had been standing up for the Potters, and making charitable contributions. Though, with this warning everyone felt they were blowing hot air. Lucius was a conniving man and it would do well to keep an eye on him.

"Why did he come to you, and not Gary?" Mr. Davis asked. Like the rest of the world they had been told that no one knew who survived the _Killing Curse_ that night. This information confirmed a lot of the group's belief that it was Harry.

"Actually, he was going to warn Gary as well, but our house elves chased him off," Harry lied, not wanting them to think that he was the savior, though he really didn't want Gary to keep the title either. They both just wished the whole thing would go away.

"We," James said to take the attention off his son, "wanted to offer more training for the group. Mostly stuff they can teach others. We're not talking combat training, just better shields, some wandless stuff and some more powerful defensive ones than what we have been. I know they had not practiced most to the stuff we taught them when they were younger, so a refresher on those might be a bonus."

A lot of the kids dropped their heads, they really didn't keep up their lessons, but it was their first year at Hogwarts.

"We just don't want anyone to be unprepared. So if you have friends you feel would benefit, then feel free to tell them to be on the lookout for something dangerous this year. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell them where you heard it, but if needs must," Lily said as she lifted her chin, still miffed that they would think badly of her family.

"I think that's a lovely idea," Amelia stated, looking around at all the parents. "I have a few things I can teach them as well. I'll also make sure to keep some men handy for the first sign of danger."

"That's great, Amelia," the Head Potter approved. "We, the adults, can set up the timetable. The kids need to go off and have a private meeting."

And with that the children stood, and hugged and kissed their parents. Harry and Gary picked up a large stack of small books and carried them along. The group was silent as they walked to the tree line and settled into a rough circle.

When they all sat, the twins started handing out the books. They were tiny and only had about twenty pages.

"We need you to read this. It's very important to what we have to tell you," Harry said, fidgeting with his sleeves as if he was very nervous.

The kids looked at each other, some with worried expressions. It was rare that anything would make one of the Potter twins jumpy.

When they read the first page, some were confused, while other understood. The book was Lily's research on _parselmouths_. Soon the small books were read, and then were put to the side. All the kids held their breaths to hear what the twins had to say.

"I can see some of you understand why we wanted you to read this. For those of you that don't get it… well… ummm, you see… I am a _parselmouth_ ," Harry boldly, with his chin high and shoulders back.

And talking started all at once. Some were excited and started throwing questions. Others were scared, even with what they just read. Still, others nodded their heads like they already knew.

Gary was sitting by his brother and getting angrier by the minute. Finally he snapped.

"Quiet," he yelled as he stood and pulled Harry up with him, looking menacing at his group of friends. "I am ashamed of you," he spat at the ones who were berating his brother. "You've known us for how long? Do you really think that Harry would be evil? After all he has done for you and everyone in he has ever come across."

Many looked ashamed, while their supporters went to the twins' side. Daphne took Harry's other hand and glared at the group. "That is just as bad as saying all Slytherins are evil," she defended her friend.

Luna looked at the group and dreamily said, "Did the nargles get you? I can give you something to make them go away?" causing a few snickers.

"Why do you think we gave you these books? Did you even read them? We don't know how Harry became a _parselmouth_ , but I will stand by his side and fight anyone who calls him evil," the younger twin stated, his face and stance showed that every word he said was true. The whole time he was sending supportive vibes through the link.

Harry released his arm from Gary's grasp and put his hand on his twin's shoulder. _"It's okay,"_ he sent, hoping to calm him down.

 _"No, it bloody well is not,"_ came the reply.

 _"No, really, look at them, they're thinking."_

So Gary looked and sure enough, most of the more studious readers had thoughtful looks. They all stood and went to Harry's side.

"What about Slytherin and Voldemort? They were evil and _parselmouths_ ," one of the seated girls said.

Gary didn't catch which one, but answered anyway. "There is good and bad in everything. We've been trying to teach you this since we started this group. You know the man who was caught in my dorm?" he said waited for the ones still in front them to nod. "He was a Gryffindor, and one of my dad's best friends. He was also a Death Eater and the one to betray us to Voldemort. That is an evil man, coming from a House everyone says no evil could come from."

"These men and women in this book are all good people. Most of them are healers or potion gatherers. They never harmed anyone, the one thing they have in common is they are all _parselmouths_ ," Harry said firmly, glancing at all their faces.

"Harry?" Daphne asked, bringing his attention to her. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? I was not upset that you are a _parselmouth_. I was upset you kept secrets." Many nodded with that statement.

"I was worried," Harry said simply, rubbing his thumb over the back of the hand he still held. He had no idea why he was doing that, but it just felt right.

"And judging from the reaction of some of you, he had every right to be concerned," his twin snapped, still glaring in defiance at the ones not standing by their side.

Harry looked at them, put his feet apart, his back straight, his head up, and said, "This will get out one day. There is no stopping that. When it does, will you stand by me?"

"We have always stood by each other in this group. When the bullies picked on Luna for being different, we stood by her. When they tried to separate us, we stood together. Why would this be any different?" Gary asked, pulling Luna from behind him and hugging her to his side. Neville gave the younger girl a one-armed hug. She just smiled that vacant smile of hers.

More kids stood and went to Harry's side. They apologized and patted him in the back in support.

"We can't let the others know, bar the Weasley twins. I know for a fact that Faye and Leanne wouldn't be able to handle it. And don't even get me started on Ron," Neville said as he retook his seat.

"Yeah, they actually have a hard enough time being witches. This would put them over the top, so to speak," Parvati said, hoping that her best friend, Lavender, would be brought in soon.

"Well, we can at least teach them how to protect their selves," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Now that the heavy stuff is out of the way," Gary said, changing the subject as he waved his hand to retrieve the books. They flew in to a pile by his side. There was no point in leaving them laying around, not yet anyway. "We need to talk about what Dobby told Harry."

"Did he tell you what the danger was?" Neville asked, looking at the older twin.

"No, he just said great danger was going to be at Hogwarts," Harry answered.

"Well, that's extremely unhelpful," Wayne huffed. "How are we supposed to be on the lookout if we don't know what we're looking for?"

"Well, we do have one secret weapon," Harry said with a small secretive smile. "You know the Halloween Ghosts?" Nods were seen around the group. "They're spies." His grin widened and more smiles broke out among the children.

"That's bloody awesome," Terry said. He had made friends with some of those spirits. They were helpful in History studies. Professor Watts was the one to suggest it.

"So, if something were to happen that we can't explain then we tell one of them and they will go looking after hours to see what they can find? Do we tell a professor?" Daphne asked, pondering on the resourcefulness of the apparitions.

"Yes, of course we tell one," Harry said, looking straight at her. "Anything that protects the students should be shared immediately with one of the staff."

"We would never hide something like that," Gary said a little more firmly.

She nodded in agreement and the group went about making plans. The maps were discussed and so were the mirrors, and each was incorporated. They reminded everyone of the mirrors in the classrooms, and stated that if they saw anything unusual then they should use them to inform the staff right away. This group would be used as a sort of neighborhood watch. Not getting involved in a fight unless they had to, just staying alert and sounding an alarm if they see something.

All and all the meetings went well, and after the Mutineers and their parents left the Potters and the Marauders gathered in one of the sitting rooms.

"So, how did it go?" Lily asked Harry, after they all settled in one big family cuddle on the largest couch. The uncles sat on the couch opposite.

"As well as could be expected, I guess," Harry said, getting comfort from his dad's hug. "There were a few uncomfortable moments, but we got it settled."

"Will we be telling the adults?" Sirius asked, knowing what the kids talked about.

Lily thought for a moment, they had had this discussion in the past and decided to tell the kids first as they were more easily convinced. "I think we should only tell some of them at first. Like the Patils and Amelia," she finally answered.

"I disagree," Remus said as he shook his head. "We tried that when we outed me as a werewolf. If we had told everyone at once, then the group mentality would have swayed more easily. As it was, there were a lot of arguments that never would've happened to get everyone on our side. It took months to get everyone to understand that I'm not a Dark creature. Some of them still look weirdly at me. Plus, I am pretty sure that I am one of the reasons Molly is pulling back."

"No, Remus, I've talked to Arthur and she's miffed that Gary isn't friends with Ron. Something about The Prophet being right, and the Boy-Who-Lived being stuck up," James disagreed. "She's making noises that the twins and Ginny shouldn't talk to the boys."

"However, Remus is correct in telling a large group," Sirius said, supporting his friend. He too remembered all the quarrelling. "But, let's keep it to the pro-security gang. I don't want to deal with her or Mrs. Dunbar. Those two would tell Dumbledore in a minute."

They talked about it some more and it was agreed that when the kids went back to school the Potters would call some of parents together and let them know.

The rest of the summer went by in a flurry of training and playing. The twins made sure not to alienate the rest of the Mutineers and invited them to come the manor. They did tell the Weasley twins what was up, on the sly, and the two redheads just nodded their heads, like they already knew.

Molly finally put her foot down and her kids couldn't come over anymore. They all missed having the Weasleys with them. Luna was especially upset that their mum had pulled Ginny away from the group. James continued to talk to Arthur at work, but other than the twins the rest of the family kept their distance. They had no idea why Mrs. Weasley, and with her Mrs. Finnigan, decided that the Potters were no longer good enough for her family, but they mostly shrugged it off and went about their business.

 ** _August 22, 1992_**

It was time to go to Diagon Alley and get school supplies. Everyone decided to meet up at the Leaky Cauldron, instead of the Potter home. They did warn the shop owners, and Tom the bartender, that they would be descending on them once again. Since only four of the Mutineers needed wands, which were Luna, Astoria, Spencer and Ellie, they split so the first years would go and get their focuses, while the rest of the gang ate breakfast.

After the first years got their wands, they divided into groups of five or six. The Greengrass girls, Luna, Harry and Dean were in one group, and Astoria kept teasing Harry and Daphne about being girlfriend and boyfriend. This caused the small group to laugh and the young not-couple to blush. It didn't make them stand further apart though.

Lily just laughed along with the rest. "Don't worry, sweetie, it's what little sisters do. I used to do it all the time to Petunia," she said, patting Harry on the shoulder. A wistful look crossed her green eyes as she remembered the good times she had with her sister before they found out she was a witch. Everything changed that day in the park when she met Severus. Oh, how her sister hated her after that and nothing Lily said changed that. She shuddered at the thought that Dumbledore had wanted to put this young man with her spiteful sister.

This group was getting robes at the moment. They were sharing the shop with the Malfoys. Draco had been surprisingly polite. At school, he still picked on non-purebloods and got into plenty of fights with Ron about Seamus, but never around the Potters. So right now he was the epitome of pure-blood politeness, who simply nodded at the gang and continued to stand still while being fitted.

"Ah, Lily Potter, how are you this fine day?" Lucius asked, tipping into a small bow.

"Lucius," Lily replied neutrally, her head bobbed and her face went blank. "We're fine. Yourself?"

The rest of the group stood back and watched, trying not to draw the man's attention. They surrounded Dean and his mum, so they were somewhat protected. None of them trust the senior Malfoy, especially after Dobby. The Thomas' had no clue, since they weren't privy to that information, but stayed put nonetheless.

The senior Malfoy looked over the assembled people and though his nose wrinkled, he kept his opinion to himself. "We are well. Doing a bit of remodeling of the Manor, but nothing drastic," he said airily, waving his hand, indicating it was nothing important.

"I'm sure. Say, Lucius, I hear you have a house elf named Dobby. From what I've heard, he gives you a bit of a bother. Do you want to sell him to us? It would be a late birthday present to our boy hero," she asked with a sudden inspiration.

"Dobby, you say. Yes, well he is a bit high-strung. How did you hear about him?" the blond man asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh, one of our elves was talking about the differences between house elf personalities to one of the Muggleborns and Dobby's name came up. They think he is a bad elf, so we wanted to see if we could, you know… tame him," she said, pulling the first thing she thought of that would let the man think Dobby wouldn't be going into an ideal situation.

"Tell you what, as a token of my appreciation to the Boy-Who-Lived, I will gift him to your twins," Lucius stated as if he was giving away the Crown Jewels.

Lily forced a look of excitement on to her face. "Would you really? That would be wonderful and very generous of you. I know house elves are hard to train properly. It will give the boys a sense of responsibility. Can you do so now?" she asked as the rest of her group looked at her like she had lost her mind. Only Harry was laughing inside.

"Of course," Malfoy Sr. said through his teeth, not really wanting to do it publicly. Then again, it might help his image. His son looked on with an air of confusion. "Dobby."

"Master calls for Dobby?" the little elf appeared in a worn raggedy pillowcase. He bowed quickly to his horrid master.

"I am releasing your bond from me to the Potter twins. You are now theirs." A blue light surrounded Lucius and Dobby, and then the light moved from the adult blond to Harry, whose eyes got wide and a smile broke out on his face.

Gary sent a mental probe, _"What was that?"_

 _"Don't worry, nothing bad,"_ Harry answered. _"I'll tell you more when we get home."_

 _"Fine,"_ came the reluctant response _._

Dobby bounced in place, his whole demeanor changed from subservient to joyful confidence. "Dobby is belonging to the Great…"

"Dobby!" Harry yelled, hopefully fast enough, though he did see a devious glint in Mr. Malfoy's eyes, along with a bit of confusion. "Go to the Manor and talk to Tilly about your duties," he commanded firmly, wanting to keep up the ruse of training the excitable house elf.

"Yes sir, Master Harry Potter, sir." And with that the elf popped away.

"That was well done, Mr. Potter, though you should have added a bit of self-punishment," Lucius drawled. "Come, Draco, we are finished here. Mrs. Potter, until we meet again." And with a nodding of heads they left.

The whole group relaxed until, "How could you do that?" came a shrill voice of a bushy-headed second year they all knew well. No one had seen the Grangers enter with the Weasleys.

"How could we do what? Rescue an abused house elf? Rather easy, I'd say," Harry answered back, rubbing the back of his head, not really sure what had upset this girl.

"That is slavery," Hermione yelled, stamping her foot.

Her parents were standing behind her in shock. All the while Arthur whispered the real reason why house elves needed to be bonded to wizards hurriedly in their ears.

"No it's not. Where did you get that idea from?" Daphne defended Lily's actions. She knew this was one of the reasons Muggleborns were looked down on. They always jumped to conclusions.

"How can it not be?" Hermione asked venomously, turning her anger to Daphne.

The blonde Slytherin just tightened her jaw and stood her ground.

"Hermione," Harry said, trying to stop the argument before it escalated even more, "you're a smart girl. Have you even read about house elves? They are not human, you know. For all you know you're accusing someone of doing something evil, when they are actually saving a life. I, for one, think you'd better do a bit more studying on it before you make wild assumptions," he said overly polite with a firm nod of his head. He grabbed Daphne's hand, making Astoria snicker, and moved away her from the irate girl.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you stop this instant. I am ashamed of you, fighting in public," the woman who could only be her mother snapped. She had just mulled over what Mr. Weasley was trying to explain and decided to get books on all magical beings so something like this wouldn't happen again.

Hermione hung her head, but you could tell this argument was not over, by the steel glint in her eyes.

"I think, we should go to the books store, since this shop appears to be full right now," Mr. Granger said as he guided his family out the door. The Weasleys followed, Arthur mouthing apologies behind Molly's back. Lily winked at him, she felt sorry for that henpecked man.

Madam Malkin, seeing the excitement was over, herded the children to the stools to get their measurements. She was happy, because she now had gossip.

"What was that all about?" Dean asked. He never doubted for a minute that the Potters were doing something well-intentioned, they always did.

"I'll explain everything later," Harry offered as he stepped up onto a stool, the tape measure zooming around his body.

"Don't worry, Dean, it was all for a good reason," Daphne said in support as she waited her turn.

"That poor, poor girl, her head is surrounded by nargles," Luna added her two Knuts worth. She had no idea who Hermione was.

"You might be right about that," Astoria said, patting Luna's arm in agreement. The blonde girl was hardly ever wrong when it came to people.

 ** _Gary's group at the book store_**

"Oh my, would you look at this crowd," Frank said, leading his gang of kids in to Flourish and Blott's. Where they saw a long line of middle-aged women standing outside the store, it stretched down the street almost to the ice cream parlor. "I wonder what's going on here."

"It looks like that ponce, Lockhart, is signing books today," James said, pointing at a sign with said ponce's picture in all his life-size glory.

A collective groan was heard. "Come on, let's just get our books and leave," Neville suggested, going around the overly perfumed women.

"Yeah," Gary agreed. The less time they spent here, the better off they'd be. "We'll get everyone's so they don't have to come here. They can pay us back later." He looked to his father for confirmation and received a nod in return.

So Gary, Neville, Susan, Spencer and Tracey separated and gathered books for everyone, each decided they would collect the subject they were best at, except Spencer who would get all the first year books, sans Defense. James went with Spencer to help the boy out.

Gary had to get the DADA books, and there were seven of this idiot man's books on his list. Thank, Merlin, for bottomless baskets. He was making his way to the counter to pay, when he was grabbed from behind. He held on to his basket by sheer luck.

"Merlin's beard, it's Gary Potter," came an overly cheerful voice.

When Gary turned, he saw Gilderoy Lockhart holding him with his stupid over-styled blonde hair and way to shiny white teeth. "Get off me, you git," he said, stamping on the man's foot, causing him to jump up and down, which the younger boy used to make his escape. He subtly cast a wandless flatulent spell and giggled when a loud 'pfffffttttt' filled the air. He paid for his books while the overstuffed peacock stuttered out apologies.

"Gary, are you alright?" James said, having come in just in time to see his son defend himself. His eyes were sparkling with mirth at the fart that had rendered from the ponce's arse.

"Yeah, Dad. I got all the Defense books, can we leave now?" Gary said as he lifted the very large, feather weight bag to show he was done.

"Best wait for everyone else. Spencer and I still have quite a few to get, so why don't you stand by the door and we'll meet you there? That way you can stay away from the commotion at the front and that git won't see you again," his dad suggested, ruffling his hair.

Gary nodded and went to the front of the store. He leaned against the wall between the door and the display window, chuckling at all the nonsense the women were spouting. Really, these people believed this self-glorified man did all these things. He shook his head and waited. He would have thought that Pandora's crystals would have put a stop to this nonsense, but then he listened harder and chuckled. They just thought the man was handsome and not really some hero. There was even a comment that the person didn't care if the moron had a thought in his head, as long as he stayed good looking.

 _'Women. Who can understand them?'_ the pre-teen thought as he quit listening.

He had been standing there for five minutes when an argument broke out between Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy. That quarrel turned into a fight, and Gary was tempted to go and show his support. He had just lifted a shoulder off the wall, when Hagrid broke it up and ushered Mr. Weasley and his group out the door.

"I wonder what that was all about," Neville said as he joined his friend by the door. He had had to gather all the Herbology books. It was surprising that Gary was done earliest, but then again all his books were in one place, since every year had been assigned the same books.

"Don't know," the dark haired boy said with a shrug, "but I hope Mr. Weasley popped him a good one."

"Yeah."

The two friends talked about their summers and the new school year. One by one the rest united with them, and Frank took them outside to wait until James and Spencer were finished. When all was said and done, they went to join the rest of their gang to let them know they got all the books. Soon a lunch of fish and chips was eaten, much to the pleasure of Tom the barman, and everyone went home happy.

 **Hphphp**

As soon as Harry exited the Floo, he was accosted by a very happy house elf, who was now dressed in a clean pillowcase.

"Harry Potter sir, Dobby is most excited to be bonded to the Great Harry Potter," said the being attached to Harry's leg. "And of course, Master Gary," he added quickly, though he didn't let go of the older twin.

"Something you want to tell me, Harry?" James asked with an accusing tone, though you could see the mischief in his eyes.

"It wasn't me, it was Mum," Harry said in defense, trying to unwrap Dobby from his leg.

The oldest Potter looked at Lily, who was giggling so hard she was bent in half. She raised her hand and tried to get herself under control. A few minutes, and many deep breaths, later she finally had enough air to answer.

"It was a spur of the moment thing," she said, still wiping the mirthful tears from her eyes. "Lucius was in the robe shop, and it just hit me that we could question Dobby about his warning if we owned him. So I tricked him into giving him to us… well the twins."

"That was very sneaky, my beautiful, intelligent wife," James said and then he planted a kiss on said wife lips, which of course went further than a peck.

"Ewww, stop that," came twin voices as they deepened the kiss into a snog.

"Shut it," James said, breaking away and turning to his blushing sons.

"Let's go into the sitting room," Lily suggested, grabbing her husband's hand and leading the way. "Dobby, join us."

"Yes, Mistress Potter, ma'am."

After they settled on to a couch, the whole family faced the still standing house elf, who looked very nervous.

"Dobby, sit on that chair there," James ordered, pointing to a chair at the side of the couch. He had been raised that house elves were indentured servants, and you treated them as such. Lily had calmed his attitude down a lot, but he was still very firm in his orders.

"Yous is asking Dobby to sit as an equal?" the little elf squeaked, pulling his ear in confusion. "No one has ever asked Dobby to sit." Tears started to form in those huge bulbous eyes.

"Well, I want to ask you a few questions, and I would rather you sit while I ask," the older man explained in a firm voice.

"Yes, sir, Master Potter, sir," Dobby said as he tentatively sat on the chair indicated, expecting to be punished for following the order.

"Listen," Harry said kindly, "we don't punish our elves, but we do know that you need to be kept busy, and that you need direct orders to do something. So if Dad comes off a bit harsh it's because he wants to make sure you understand. Okay?"

"Yes, sir, Master Harry Potter sir."

"Okay, Dobby, what can you tell us about the danger that will be coming to Hogwarts this year? We're assuming that it has something to do with Lucius," Lily asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

"Ah, ma'am, Dobby is not knowing much. Dobby is hearing the bad Master saying that he is going to bes doing something to get rid of the Mudbloods. He is saying that there will be great danger. That is all Dobby knows, Mistress Lily Potter, ma'am," the elf answered, tensing up at first then relaxed when no order for punishment came.

"Why did you come and tell Harry? He is not a Muggleborn," James inquired, leaning forward just a little to grab the elf's attention.

"Harry Potter is the greatest wizard of all times to the house elves. We is remembering the bad times when the Dark Lord ruled. He did bad things to us and Harry Potter destroyed the bad Master's Master. Dobby will always protect Harry Potter. So when Dobby is hearing that bad things were going to happen at Hogwarts, I is doing what I could to warn him," Dobby explained, pulling his ears at his past transgressions.

"Dobby, stop pulling your ears. You're not in trouble," Harry ordered gently.

"Dobby, do you remember seeing anything that might be helpful?" Lily asked, "Any Dark object that Lucius would pay attention to when he was planning?"

The newly acquired elf thought for a minute and then his large eyes lit up. "Dobby is remembering a Dark book. The Dark Lord is giving this book to the bad Master. The bad Master is taking this book off the shelves when he is planning. Dobby remembers that the bad Master is bringing this book to the Alley today," Dobby said, bouncing with exhilaration that he could help the Great Harry Potter and his family. Then he deflated. "Dobby cannot tell yous what the book looks like, only that it is being dark leather and about this big," he said, making motions with his hands to show that the book would be smallish sized.

The Potters exchanged looks, it wasn't much, but it was something. "Thank you Dobby, you've been very helpful. Go see Tilly, and she'll tell you what the twins need," James ordered, not knowing Harry had already given that order.

"Dobby is being knowing. Tilly is telling Dobby just what the Great Potter Twins is being needing," the excitable house elf said, jumping down from the chair and with a bow to the family he popped away.

"I wonder how long it is going to take for his excitement to calm down," Gary said, smirking at his frustrated brother.

"Merlin I hope it's soon. I never wanted a fan in the Manor, it's always been a safe haven for us," Harry groaned, leaning back on the couch, his eyes closed. "You're just glad it's not you, prat." He blindly swiped at his twin, who ducked and punched his arm in retaliation. The two boys tussled on the couch until their parents stopped them.

"Don't worry, Harry, I'll speak with him," James said, patting the poor boy on the head as they got up to put the shopping away.

"Thanks, Dad," was the rejoinder.

The Potters spent the rest of the day, laughing at the antics of their newest member, or just hiding in Harry's case. Lily sent what they knew to the Headmaster, and the boys mirror called all the Mutineers, and the redheaded twins, to be on the lookout for strange books. They told Sally, and she in turn warned the ghosts at Hogwarts.

The days until school started were spent studying and training. The boys promised that they wouldn't skive off on it this year. So mirror calls were made, and encouragement was given to those who were not with the pro-security group. They just told them that they would be doubling practical practices this year so they might want to be in shape.

 ** _Time skip with a short narration_**

The train ride was uneventful, but many more students joined the Mutineers in their carriage. A lot of the neutral wizard-raised that had visited the Potter manor over the summer decided that it would be okay to hang out with this group. They and their parents had learned a lot about non-magicals, and the computers went a long way in helping with that. The trip to the park/zoo had been an eye-opener. They never really understood just how outnumbered they were.

The Welcoming Feast went off without a hitch, except the many groans of the gang when Lockhart was introduced as the DADA professor. A lot of them felt that Dumbledore had lost his marbles. That aside it was a good feast.

The Potter adults held a meeting with the pro-security parents, and told the about Harry's ability to talk to snakes. They actually took it rather well. Some of them already expected it. His giggling around any snake was kind of a giveaway. Lily's research went a long way in helping others get over their innate fears. They decided as a whole that if this ever got out then the book should be sold at Pandora's Box.

The Mutineers were on the lookout for the book Dobby had warned about. No one had seen it yet, since Ginny was not part of the pro-security group. She was still undecided about going against her mum. The Weasley twins were keeping an eye on her, because she was acting different and they couldn't tell why. The redheaded girl looked like she wasn't getting any sleep at night, but when asked she said she was 'fine'. According to the twins' map, she wasn't going out of her dorm at night, so they were confused. Ron, on the other hand, didn't see anything wrong with his sister and blew off their concerns. Percy was concerned, but he too could find nothing wrong.

Luna was picked on her first day in Ravenclaw. Those bullies soon found out that this atypical little girl was not friendless. When Padma, Harry and the other Mutineers stood firm at her side and informed them, quite painfully, that they would retaliate. The bullies quickly backed off.

Even with all the watching going on, classes and life at Hogwarts was uneventful, except Lockhart making a fool of himself on a daily basis. It was a good thing the Mutineers set aside an hour each morning for the extra lessons. They would start to teach the non-Mutineers second year defense, at the very least. The upper-years would have to fend for themselves, unfortunately.

At the beginning of October both Potters tried out for their teams and were both taken on as Seekers, much to the relief of the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor team captains.

 ** _October 31, 1992 Hogwarts_**

Gary, Neville and Dean were invited to Nearly Headless Nick's Death Day party. He had been declined to join the headless hunt once again, so they offered to show support to him. Being forewarned by the other partygoers as to what a Death Day party entailed, they made sure to visit the kitchens before they went. They also got permission from their Head of House. She was more than happy to give it and awarded the second years points for standing up for the Gryffindor House Ghost.

The party was held in one of the deeper dungeons, all of the specters of the castle were invited. The room was made of the same stone as the rest Hogwarts. It was dark down there, and the walls were wet, though not dripping. It was also very cold, since ghosts didn't need to be warmed. The boys did their best not to complain about the party, and endured the cold and dark for their friend. The rotten food at the tables on the wall almost made the boys lose their dinners, though they were glad they ate before coming.

Even Professor Watts was there and she regaled the boys with stories of her own death day, and a few historical people. They met Moaning Myrtle and tried to keep her from, well… moaning. Gary even offered to dance with her, but Peeves came along and started teasing the poor girl until she wailed and flew away.

Sally was there, though only Gary and the ghosts could see her. She was watching the party, to make sure the kids were safe. She scared Peeves off after what he did to Myrtle. She was upset at the uppity specters that disrupted Nick's speech. And in one slicing movement of her hand, she removed the string of dead flesh that held the Gryffindor Ghost's head to his body. Everyone rejoiced and Nick, in a fit of happiness, declined the pretentious phantoms' invitation to join the hunt that year.

It was getting on 10 p.m., which was when the party in the Great Hall would end and the boys were making their way to the dorms. Many of the castle ghosts joined them, wanting to make sure they got where they needed to be. When they got to the second floor, near Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, they could hear the rest of the student body down the hall, and turned to make their way towards them.

Gary stopped suddenly, and the other two bumped into him. "What did you stop for?" Dean asked, rubbing his slightly injured nose.

The youngest Potter just pointed at the writing on the wall and the cat that hung from the light fixture. In red ink, well they hoped it was ink, were the words:

 **'The Chamber of Secrets has been open. Enemies of the heir, beware.'**

"Oh," said Neville as he looked warily down the hall to where he could hear the rest of the school headed towards them, "that's not good. Do you think it has something to do with the book?" he asked in a shaky voice.

The boys started backing up from the scene, making sure they didn't touch anything.

"Yeah, it might," Gary said. He turned to one the ghost that had followed them. "You need to tell a professor or the Headmaster," he said as they inched further away from puddle on the floor.

Professor Watts joined the boys and looked thoughtful, this was something she had learned about last year and was going to discuss it in future classes, but she decided the next class might be more pertinent. She whispered that the boys shouldn't worry too much, since the ghosts would vouch for their whereabouts.

The rest of the student body came across the three boys, and stopped to stare at the words on the wall.

"I hope that's ink," someone said from the back. Heads nodded in agreement.

Filch came from behind the students and barked, "Why are you all standing in the middle of the hall?" Then he saw Mrs. Norris hanging from the lamp and gave a strangled cry. "Who did this? Who did this to my cat?" he yelled as he turned and saw Gary standing there and went to grab him. The younger twin ducked and moved to his brother's side. "You, you did this to Mrs. Norris!" he shouted, and then he saw the other twin. "Or was it you? You did it together, didn't you? Why did you do this to my cat?" the grieving man asked, trying to get through the crowd to get to the Potter twins.

"Don't be stupid, you foolish old man," snapped Professor Watts as she floated in his face, making him back off. "Gary was with me and all the ghosts in the castle the entire night," she defended her student. "Well, except Myrtle, she left early."

"And Harry was in the Great Hall," chimed in Professor Flitwick. Many students nodded at these words.

"Argus," Dumbledore said as he came on to the scene, "take Mrs. Norris down and we will adjourn elsewhere to see if we can understand what happened to her. Gary, Mr. Potter," he said, deliberately showing favoritism, "you two will join us."

"I think not," the diminutive Charms Professor said. "Both these boys have firm alibies. You are not going to make scapegoats out of students by singling them out." He stood firmly by the boys' sides.

"That was not my intention at all," the Headmaster said serenely. "I merely wanted to know what their thoughts were."

"They are children, their thoughts are unimportant. We as adults should be handling this. Someone needs to call the Aurors. Remember Albus, you are still on probation." Filius stood firm, and the other professors, bar Snape, nodded their heads in agreement.

It was too late; rumors had already been started among the students. It was a good thing that the Mutineers had the best gossip mongers on their side. Parvati and Lavender were the best at squelching unwanted chatter. Already you could hear them defending the Potter twins. Other voices soon joined them.

The professors herded the students away to their dorms; mirrors were used well that night.

 **Hphphp**

Sally joined Harry when he was talking with his twin mentally. "Call Gary on the mirror, I have news and it will be quicker this way."

So Harry pulled out his mirror, activated the security and called his brother.

"What's up, Sally?" Gary asked.

"Myrtle told me that she saw Ginny Weasley go into her bathroom tonight. She said she seemed possessed, and was carrying a book. She was the one to put the writing on the wall. I don't want to tell a professor yet, and asked Myrtle to keep it to herself for now. She is just going to tell them it was a student, but she doesn't know which one. I want you guys to see if you can get that book away from the poor girl. It is probably a _horcrux_ ," she explained.

"If I see her in the morning, I'll do what I can," Gary offered. "This explains her actions so far. If she is being possessed then she isn't in her right mind. We have to help."

"If I see her first, I'll summon it out of her bag. It might come to me, because of my own _horcrux_ ," Harry said and then thought a moment. "If not, I'll just bump into her and take it. I'm pretty good at pick-pocketing, Sirius taught us well," he added with a grin, remembering how mad his mum had been when she found out.

"If you can't get it, let me know. She still likes me better than you and she might give me the book if I ask," Gary said thoughtfully. While Ginny wasn't crushing like she was before, she still preferred him over Harry.

The three continued to make plans until the boys grew too tired to think. Sally held off lessons that night and let them sleep. After a quick mirror call to the parents, they signed off with warnings of being careful, and slept.

Gary missed Ginny the next morning, but Harry didn't. He found he couldn't summon the diary, so he sidled up to her on the pretense of asking if she was okay, which he really wanted to know, but used it to palm the book out of her bag. He slipped it into his own and left the Gryffindor table with words of encouragement to the younger girl. He ate his breakfast and slipped away to put it in his trunk. He then left for class, secure in the knowledge that is was safe for now.


	25. How Do You Stop A Tidal Wave?

**Chapter 25 How do You Stop a Tidal Wave?**

 **Thanks to my beta, darrelldeam, for going over this for me. All mistakes left are my own. The rewrite is unbetaed. Thanks for the support.**

 _Yay! Once again you get two today._

 _Whew, this one was a toughie. All the changes I made in the past chapters, caught up here. Well, there are still a few I have to remember, but it did make this one hard. Now, I'm glad I shortened the last one and added to this one, because it plays well with the subject. Enjoy._

 _The last time I posted the first scene I got a bit of ridicule, but I wanted to show that the boys are still just children for all their power. So, yeah, they are going to make mistakes._

 _Just an FYI, which I put I all my stories, because inevitably someone tries to correct me. I do know the difference between '_ Gary and I' _and '_ me and Gar _y'. I do it for character and no other reason. But thanks to those who try and educate me. Goodness knows, I need it for other grammar errors. It is very nice of you._

 _Here is the key again:_

"Blah" _…_ normal talk

 _"Blah" … twin speak or foreign language, this includes parseltongue._

 _'Blah' … thoughts_

'Blah' … _off stage talking, and store and book names, plus for this chapter to hide identities_

 _Blah… spells_

"Blah" _Riddle's dairy_

 **Hphphp**

 **November 1, 1992 Hogwarts**

That night, Harry was sitting in his common room looking at the innocent seeming leather bound book. Tom Riddle's name was on the front of it, and he knew who that was, so he knew not to use it, but he was curious. He opened it and noted it was blank; however, there was an overwhelming urge to write in it. So he took out a quill and ink and wrote, "Harry Potter, November 3 1992," as if it was his own diary.

The ink disappeared and the words formed, "Hello, Harry Potter, my name in Tom Riddle."

 _'Well that's weird,'_ the twin thought. He thought he was fighting the _compulsion charm_ , but he also wondered about the man who tried to kill him, and what drove him to do so. He was about to write some more when the book was ripped from his hands and thrown into the fireplace.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Terry hissed furiously at the dark haired boy. "That book belongs to Riddle. He was an evil man, so it is probably cursed. Are you trying to die?" he glared at his friend for being stupid.

"You're right," Harry said and then looked at the fire and noted the book was not burning. "Thanks, Terry. I have no idea what came over me. You saved mine life, or at the very least my soul. Who knows if I could have fought that diary off? Thanks again." He clapped his friend on the shoulder, and then got up and started towards the stairs. "I'm going to have to wait until the fire dies to get that. Keep an eye on it for a minute, I need to call my mum," he asked his still pissed off dorm mate.

"Yeah, mate, but hurry. I don't want to be alone with that thing," Terry said, nodding his head and sat right in front of the fireplace, blocking the view of the book. It was around eleven in the evening, so thankfully there were only a few students awake.

Harry ran upstairs, grabbed his mirror, activated the security and said, "Lily Potter."

Lily's face came on and she said in an almost frantic voice, "Harry, what's wrong now? I swear we never should have let you guys go to Hogwarts." She seemed tired. Her hair was in a sloppy bun and there were dark rings under her eyes, like she slept in days.

"Mum, I need you to send me something to put that book in. There's a compulsion charm on it and the _horcrux_ interacts with anyone who writes in it," Harry explained, ignoring his mum's griping, though he was worried about her health.

"Oh, sweetie, don't tell me you wrote in it. You know who it belonged to. Nothing good can come of that," she said, looking over her child as best she could through the mirror. She nodded, relieved that he didn't seem possessed. "I'll send a box right now. Dobby will be there in a few minutes. Put the book in the box and give it to him. We'll take it from there. Try and make sure no one sees him," came the short orders.

"Mum, Dobby… really? Can't you send Tilly or one of the others?" he all but begged. While he liked the little guy, the elf was loud and bouncy.

"Don't worry, I'll stress the importance of not being seen," she said with a smirk. "Think of it as punishment opening a cursed object."

"Fine," he huffed, and then his face softened. "Mum, I am sorry that I worried you. I just wanted to know Riddle, and why he turned bad. But, you're right, it was stupid, and I won't do it again. I am really, really sorry," Harry apologized profusely. What he said was true, it was dumb to think he could control something as Dark as a _horcrux_.

Lily sighed and ran a weary hand over her face. She didn't know how much more trouble she could take. "I'm not really angry, but, Harry, you could have been hurt," she said and then looked away to give Dobby orders to get the box to Harry. She made sure to tell him not to make any noise. "He'll be there in a second. Just put the book in the box and give it back to him. I love you, sweetie, try not to defy any Dark Lords for at least a week. I don't think my heart can handle it," she said with a smile to let him know that he wasn't in trouble.

Dobby popped into the room, ran and hugged Harry's legs, making him fall onto the bed. "Okay, Mum. Dobby is here, but it might be a minute. Terry threw the book in the fire so I have to wait until it burns down some. But, the second it does, I'll get it to you," Harry said, glad his mum wasn't too mad at him.

"Harry, are you a wizard or not? You've been floating things since you could crawl. Just levitate it into the box," Lily said, exasperated.

Harry blushed, and smiled sheepishly. "Well, you're the one who always made us try and do without magic. You said we'd get lazy," he said in mock accusation, then sobered up seeing as his mum wasn't smiling. He did wonder what was going on at home to make his mum so short tempered.

"Just get the book. Done." And the mirror went blank.

The dark-haired boy stared at the mirror in confusion. His mum was rarely that sharp with them. He looked at Dobby and wondered if he should ask him. Then figured he wouldn't know, so he held out his hand for the box, smiling at the little house elf.

The excitable elf gave his master the box and the young man went downstairs. Terry was still blocking the fireplace and the non-burning book.

"Terry," Harry whispered, bringing the other boys attention to him, "make sure the coast is clear. Mum sent me a container to put that in, but I don't want anyone seeing." He crept as close to the fireplace as he could get, placed the box on the floor and opened it.

Terry looked around and noted that the five people left in the room were focused on their homework. "You're clear, but hurry."

Harry floated the book into the box with a simple wave of his hand. He could feel the heat on the diary, but not even a page was singed. He quickly closed the box, thanked Terry and ran up the stairs. He gave it to Dobby and thanked him, earning another hug on the legs. He got his mirror out and called his mum. He told her it was on the way and disconnected. It was getting late and he wanted to see if he could take a nap before Sally came and tortured… trained him.

 ** _November 3, 1992 Hogwarts_**

Today's History class was the main topic of conversation once again, and Gary was looking forward to the lesson. He went into the classroom and sat at his assigned seat, which was still next to Hermione. She had read about the house elves, and offered an apology the first day of school. So Gary was quite comfortable around her, though Harry was not. The older twin didn't like her bossiness and overbearing ways, but the younger was used to them and he remained friends with the bushy-haired witch. The rest of the Mutineers were equally divided, and that would keep her from being part of the gang.

The Professor came in and called for quiet. When the class calmed down, she started her lesson. "As a ghost I am privy to a lot of information that you are not. There is little written history of the Chamber of Secrets, but here is what I know from those who have passed on."

Everyone stopped talking the minute she started. They had heard that this was what was going to be taught and didn't want to miss a word.

"Salazar Slytherin disagreed with the other Founders about the importance and the acceptance of Muggleborns at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At that time, while there wasn't an active witch hunt, people still persecuted them. He was concerned that the Muggleborn would bring their families or hunters to the castle. As the other Founders were against him in this matter, they fought. It was during one of those arguments that he left the school. He was later killed by religious fanatics."

A few of the pure-bloods shared a look, so did some of the Muggleborn, though for different reasons.

"According to legend, before Salazar left, he created a secret chamber deep underground— known as the Chamber of Secrets. This Chamber is home to a monster — we're not telling you what it is, just that we know and will handle it," she said, getting groans from the class.

She had already told Dumbledore and Amelia what it was and that it was contained within the Chamber. There were massive talks about closing the school, but the Board shot them down. They stated that no one was hurt, and that the mangy cat would be fine. If they closed the school they would have to pay back tuition, and they simply could not afford to do that.

Hands shot up in the air as many students had questions. "Why did he put it there?" Hermione asked, after she was called on.

"The monster was allegedly supposed to purge the school of all Muggleborn students. Slytherin's spirit denies this, and according to him it was merely a pet, but legend tells different. This myth also stated that only his heirs could open his room, through the use of _parseltongue_. Over the centuries after Slytherin's death, many headmasters conducted searches of the school to find the Chamber. None, however, were successful, and the Chamber was dismissed as a mere legend by many. When it was opened in 1943, it was revealed to be real, yet still never found."

The sound of quills meeting parchment was heard throughout the room as most students wrote down the lecture. Professor Watts was notorious for give homework on her lectures, and not just what was in the History books.

"There is clear evidence that the Chamber has been opened more than once between its creation and the twentieth century. When first created, it was accessed through a concealed trapdoor, which only a _parselmouth_ could open. When Hogwarts' plumbing became more elaborate in the eighteenth century, the entrance to the Chamber was threatened. The heir in school at the time was a student called Corvinus Gaunt. He was a direct descendant of Slytherin. He explained to me how the trapdoor was protected. Back then it was he that told future heirs so that those who knew how to access the entrance to the Chamber, even with the 'newfangled plumbing' on top of it." She stopped for a moment to see if they were paying attention, and noted that every student there was hanging on to her every word. So she continued, tapping her ever present ruler on her leg.

"The Chamber was last opened by a young boy by the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle," she glared at the students that started whispering. "He, as you know, was later known as Lord Voldemort. Through his mother, he was the last remaining direct descendant of Slytherin. In his fifth year, Riddle located the secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, and was able to control the monster. He turned the beast loose on the school, injuring many, and killing one."

"Why wasn't he caught?" came the question for Susan, after she raised her hand and the professor pointed to her.

"That is a good question, one I will be answering in just a moment," the ghost teacher said with a nod. "Now, the last victim of the monster was a student named Myrtle Warren, who you know as Moaning Myrtle, she was killed in the bathroom that she haunts. Because of her death, Hogwarts was due to be closed, which upset Riddle, who did not want to return to the Muggle orphanage where he was raised. He framed fellow student Rubeus Hagrid, who had concealed a pet Acromantula named Aragog."

"Wait, Hagrid it that old? And he had a giant spider?" Ron asked with a full body shudder, and then sunk in his seat when Professor Watts glared at him.

She continued on as if the boy hadn't talked. "Riddle convinced the Headmaster at the time, Armando Dippet, who is the one that relayed this story to me, that Aragog was the monster that had terrorized the school. Mr. Hagrid was expelled, and Riddle received an engraved trophy for Special Services to the School. Now that the Aurors know this, they are doing what they can to get Mr. Hagrid a trial. Hopefully he will be cleared and can use a wand again." Again she stopped taking a look at many hopeful faces, glad to see so many would stand up for justice.

"What happened to the Acromantula?" Ron asked, though this time he raised his hand.

"He still resides within the Forbidden Forest with his children," the teacher answered, then raised her ghostly hands to get silence. "They are being relocated, and Hagrid has been told not to have such… exotic pets."

"Whew," the redheaded second years said, wiping his forehead.

"To continue, this is what I've been told by the spirits that passed on from this school," Watts said as she started to conclude her lecture. "One of the school's ghosts informed us last night that the Chamber had been opened and though they told us how, we will not be telling you. Leave it to the adults to handle this. I am only informing you about the Chamber so you will not go through the trouble of looking for it. We, the teachers, know where it is, the Aurors have been called, and a watch has been posted to keep you kids out of there. They are still trying to find a way to open the Chamber and rid us of the monster."

There were sly glances Gary's way; he just minutely raised a shoulder to show he didn't know.

"Your homework," Professor Watts said, causing the inevitable groans, "is to write a one foot parchment on the difference between legend and fact. What I have told you is both, but I want you to separate my lecture, factual and myth, and explain how you know. You need to learn to tell the difference." She turned and motioned to the lesson written on the chalkboard by one of the upper-years. "Write this down and turn it in on Wednesday."

Quills flew as the students followed the instructions. Many were excited about the lesson and couldn't wait to do the homework. The bell rang and the pupils gathered up their books and left the class none too quietly.

Gary let Harry know what had been said and got back the mental message _"Dumbledore's not going to like this,"_ causing both boys to chuckle.

They were right Dumbledore didn't like the lesson, but he learned last year there was little he could do about Professor Isobel Watts. She told it like it was and if he didn't like it, tough. The Headmaster also didn't like that there were Aurors in the school. There was round the clock surveillance around Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Myrtle liked it though; there was always someone around to complain to.

 ** _The few days later, at the Manor_**

The Hunters gathered once again to make their reports. After greetings were made and the meeting called to order they started. Once again Augusta was the first to report.

"Well, from the history lessons going on at Hogwarts, there is a lot of gossip. Tom seems to be the main topic, which is good for us. More and more people are remembering things about him from when he was in school and right after," the eldest woman said, and then she took a sip of her tea.

"Right," Wayne said, "and we already have the ring, the diary and the necklace. Professor Watts gave us information on the orphanage, so we have another area to look. From what Augusta has heard we might be looking for the Hufflepuff cup and the Ravenclaw diadem. There is also talk about the Gryffindor sword, but no one has seen the diadem or the sword since the time of the Founders, so we don't know if Tom found them or not. He just asked many questions about them during his time working at the store."

"Has anyone asked the Hogwarts Ghosts," Kenton wanted to know.

"Most of them are after the Founders' time, and they say they had little action with Riddle, but we have someone working on them," Lily answered, sharing a look with her husband.

"Well, that's something," James said as the group mulled it over. They had come to a standstill in their search. It was keeping them up at night, that and having something more happen at Hogwarts. "Amelia, how goes it with the goblins?" he asked, turning to the formidable DMLE Head.

"Slowly, the committee they formed said 'no'," she sighed. She had been in talks with them for months, but was getting nowhere. "They don't like us poking around. I tried to tell them what might be in their vaults, but they said without evidence they can do nothing."

"We have the diary, with Riddle's name on it. Do you think it might help? We haven't cleansed it yet. Oh, and you can tell them we know how to rid the _horcruxes_ of the soul pieces without damaging the container. That might help," Lily said excitedly. She was very proud of her group's accomplishment.

"Yes, that might be just what I need," Amelia said thoughtfully. Though she was loathed to even touch the box the book was in.

"I don't know how susceptible goblins are to compulsion charms, but you might warn them anyway," James warned, he didn't want them to get on the bad side of that nation.

"Another good idea," the woman with the monocle stated.

"Wonderful, was there anything else?" the male Potter asked, clapping and rubbing his hands together. He loved it when things worked out, maybe they could get some much needed sleep.

"I am concerned that Harry's ability to talk to snakes might get out," Albert said as he read from his notes.

"What brought that up?" Lily asked, not wanting the headache that would bring.

"Rita's latest article," he answered with a shrug. "Somehow she got into a secret meeting, and published some dirt on Fudge. He denies it all, but I was talking to some of the fellows at work and they confirmed it. So she has a small _Animagus_ form, which we might not catch.

"Shite, that would be bad," James said, running a hand through his hair. "Suggestions?"

"We could use Harry to open the Chamber," Amelia said with a great deal of frustration lacing her voice. So far they hadn't been able to get in there. They blasted the sink apart and tried cutting around it but the wards were too strong. They even called in curse breakers, but still nothing.

"Let's hold off on that," the boy's father said, not wanting his child anywhere near a Basilisk. "Unless we really have to, I don't want him involved. That and the Headmaster would know and use it against us."

"We could start selling the book," Sirius said, he mind running over solutions. If Skeeter got ahold of this, it would be very, very bad.

"That might draw her attention faster," Kenton Brocklehurst said as he too went over the problem.

"We could go to the press first, or do both. Go to the press about the book and why we want it sold," Remus said. He looked at James and Lily, "Remember what I said about crowd mentality. If you tell everyone at once then you are likely to control what they think. If you hide it and it gets out then you've lost that control. I say get your lawyer on it as well."

"But, the Headmaster…" Lily started only to be interrupted.

"Will know no matter what you do. You can't hide this, you can control it," the werewolf argued gently.

"Still, I don't want Harry's name attached to anything," James said, rapping his knuckles on the table.

"I understand," Remus conceded, "So how can we do this without Harry?"

"We could get one of the more reputable reporters and Xeno, of course, tell them we know a _parselmouth_ who wants to open the Chamber and sell our little book? Hmmm, we're going to have to think on that," Lily said worry now etched in her face, her finger tapping away on the table in thought, until James grabbed her hand to make her stop. So much for a good night's sleep.

"Let's call another meeting and we can decide as a group, just like we always do," James suggested and the meeting broke up from there.

 ** _The next day at the castle_**

Parvati approached Gary the next day with a gleam in her eyes, meaning she had good gossip. There was also a hint of worry.

"What's up, Parvati?" he asked when she got close enough.

"So me and Lavender have been busy," she started, taking Gary's sleeve and pulling him away from the other students. "It all started when the Headmaster tried to take you and Harry away on Halloween. There are rumors that both of you are the heirs of Slytherin. We're doing our best to crush them, since I can say I know your family tree. It is a good thing it is well known you keep that at the Manor and anyone can see it."

"I don't see the problem," the younger twin said as he leaned against the wall out of the way of the student body traffic. He had been going to the Great Hall for study hour and the halls were busy.

"That's not all I've heard," she whispered, getting close enough not to be overheard. "We don't know how, but there's rumor that there is a _parselmouth_ at Hogwarts. Because Professor Watts said that only a _parselmouth_ could open the Chamber of Secrets, then there must be one here. And with the rumor about you two being the heirs of Slytherin… well, you can see where this is going," she explained, worrying her robe sleeve.

"Shite," Gary said and relayed the message on to Harry via their link. He heard his brother cuss back in the same way. "Thanks for telling me, Parvati," he said and gave her an absentminded kiss on the cheek and wandered away.

She giggled and said to herself, "I better not tell Susan." And she followed the dazed boy to the Hall.

 ** _November 6, 1992 Potter Manor_**

The parents were worried; they'd been getting mirror calls for the last few days about the gossip. An emergency meeting was called, and at least one guardian for each Mutineer was there, barring the Dumbledore supporters. Whispers and ideas were flying about the room. Everyone claimed their usual seats and tea services were once again spaced around the table.

"Okay, everyone, quiet down," James said in a loud voice, standing at the head of the table. As usual, he was taking control of the meeting. "I know you're all worried, so we're here to see how we can maintain control. So… ideas? One at a time, please. Let's start with Amelia and work our way around. Everyone got a pencil and paper?" Nods were seen and Madam Bones stood.

"Thank you, James, I won't take long. My idea is simple, have Harry open the Chamber of Secrets to let the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures in to slay the beast," she said, looking around the room. It was a good idea, one that if used correctly could help a lot. "It will show that he wants to help."

"I like it," said Wayne Sr., slapping his hand on the table in approval. "But, I don't think we should put Harry in the spotlight like that. I think maybe we should use the mirrors. That way he can open it from the safety of an empty classroom or his bed. Then you can keep his name out of the report and only call him 'a student'."

"No, 'a person'," Lily argued. "Calling them a student will spark the rumors more."

"That's a great idea," said Hannah's mum as she clapped in approval. "If you use the media when you open this… Chamber, then it would go even better. Is your department going to kill or just capture the beast? I'm afraid I don't know much about Basilisks." She was still learning about the Wizarding World her daughter was in. She knew a lot thanks to the Potters and the other Mutineer parents, but there was still so much she didn't know.

"They will try to capture it first, if that doesn't work then they will have to put it down," was Amelia's reply. "Which media do you think we should use? I can get the Wizard Wireless Network to the castle for such a historical event as opening the Chamber of Secrets." She knew the owner and he owed her a favor, being the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement came in handy once in a while.

"I can also be there," offered Xeno, marking something on the pad in front of him. He had come far since the death of his wife, and it was all thanks to the friends he had in this group. "Such an event would sell lots of papers. I can even call it a collector's edition."

"These are all good suggestions," James stated with huge sigh, thankful that they could keep Harry's name out of the press.

"I think we should start selling the book," Lily put her two Knuts worth in. "If we say there are…" she paused to think of a good number, "four authors then that would also keep the limelight off us. Who wants to claim ownership of the book?"

Many raised their hands and a vote was cast, it was decided that no one with political clout would be an author of such a controversial book. So in the end Aric Davis, Wayne Hopkins, Sarita Patil, and Gifford Abbott decided to make the claim. They'd sell the book once the Chamber was open and use the press to push their point. The rest of the night was used to make plans to open the Chamber. They had to act fast, before they could be stopped.

 ** _November 8, 1992_**

It was dinner time at Hogwarts, dessert had just been served, when the door opened and Amelia Bones, Xeno, three goblins, five burly looking men, and twenty Aurors walked in.

Dumbledore rose from his chair and went to greet the group. "Amelia, what a wonderful surprise. What brings you to the castle, my dear?" Albus asked in his ever so kind grandfather voice, the one that put said woman's teeth on edge.

"Didn't you get the memo? We're here to capture the beast in the Chamber of Secrets," she said, lifting an eyebrow.

The students nearby started excited whispers, and soon the whole Hall knew why they were there.

"Yes, I did receive such a memo. However, I sent a missive back stating we had everything under control," the Headmaster stated firmly. He didn't want anyone to take that glory away from Hogwarts.

"Oh, you know how to get into the Chamber without a snake speaker?" Amelia asked in a condescending voice that just dripped with sarcasm.

"Alas, not as of yet," the old man sighed. "Nevertheless, my staff is working on the problem and we expect it to be solved quickly," he offered in a placating tone.

"We have a _parselmouth_ that is willing to help," she said, maybe a little louder than necessary, since her tone carrying across the Hall.

Once again setting the children into an almost frenzy. Though, their voices never carried above a whisper, because they wanted to hear what was being said.

"A _parselmouth_ you say? Amelia, my dear, wherever did you come across someone with such a talent? And one that is willing to help your Department? Such a person would be a treasure to behold, indeed," the Headmaster asked with a lifting of his bushy eyebrows. He was shocked, he knew of no such person, and as such one should not exist, unless they were not from the United Kingdom.

Amelia smirked, Dumbledore played directly into that, there was no way he could back out of his praise now that the whole school heard. Not to mention one of the men behind her was a reporter for WWN. Xeno also stood by, his quill flying across the parchment by his side.

"This person does not wish to be known; therefore I will not be giving his or her name," the Head of the DMLE informed him. She turned to the student body and cast the _Sonorus_ and said, "I need everyone to go to their dorms. We are going to rid the school of the Slytherin monster, but we don't want to take the chance of anyone getting hurt. These Aurors behind me are here to make sure you stay in your dorms. I am sure your headmaster will send your desserts to the common rooms for you to enjoy." She cast the _Quietus_ and then turned back to Albus and raised her eyebrow.

"Prefects take the students to your dormitories. The house elves will bring your desserts," he complied, not seeing any other choice.

The students got up and loudly left the Great Hall and quite a few of the red-robed men and women followed them. The kids were happy that this was going to be taken care of, though they were a little let down that no name was given.

When the Hall was clear of students, Amelia's group and the professors went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to tend to the monster. There were still a few of her men left. They would be there to prevent the giant snake from getting into the castle.

One of the burly men startled the staff of Hogwarts by saying, "This is it folks, live at Hogwarts, as you heard earlier Madam Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and members of the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures are going to open the fabled Chamber, with the help of an unnamed _parselmouth_. This is history in the making, stay tuned to find out how this momentous occasion unfolds." He spoke into a mic that was pinned to his robe, they hadn't even noticed it.

Dumbledore was about to tell the man he needed to leave, until he realized it was a live broadcast.

Amelia ignored the reporter and pulled out her mirror, set the security and called Harry. When his face, behind a cloth, appeared she warned him not to talk English as she was taking off the security.

Myrtle pointed to the sink that she had seen Ginny disappear down, the same one that had the eyes that killed her. She then dived into her favorite toilet bowl and hid at the u-bend.

Madam Bones shook her head at the ghost's antics and took the mirror to the entrance, undid the security, and pointed it to the snake carved in the sink.

 _"Open, says me?"_ came the hiss from the mirror, you could actually hear the question in the phrase.

The sink started to slide apart, it seemed to expand and then fold back away from a deep, dark tunnel. The smell from the slime in the pipe that was exposed was nauseating. Amelia, the goblins, and the four men that weren't reporters, simultaneously cast a cleansing charm down the tunnel. The staff and the remaining Aurors stayed to the back and let the team do all the work. Harry hissed again, and iron stairs appeared.

"Person," she said to the cloth covered face, "I want you to stay at the mirror in case you are needed later." Inside she was smirking at the disgruntled face of Dumbledore. She knew he was upset that he didn't know who was on the other side of the mirror.

"I feel that Severus and I should accompany you down," the Headmaster suggested with a big grin, like he was doing them a favor. "Severus is the Head of Slytherin after all," he said at the other teachers' protest that they should join.

"As long as you stay behind us," one of the burly men said, "I don't get a damn what you do."

"Remain here in case the beast escapes," the Headmaster told his staff, but motioned for the Potions Master to follow.

So Amelia, Dumbledore, Snape, the reporters, and the magical creature men went down the stairs. There were various degrees of awe on their faces. Snape was overjoyed to be in Slytherin's Chamber, though you could only see it in his eyes.

The reporter was giving step by step description, things like 'We are going down a dark and creepy staircase, no light is here, but for our own _Lumos'_ or 'We've come to the bottom of the stairs and there are thousands of skeletons of small animals. No doubt food for the monster we are about to face.' All of this theatrically spoken in a harsh whisper, to make the listeners feel the foreboding atmosphere.

They came upon a set of double doors that wouldn't open, so Amelia held up the mirror to the snakes that lined the door. The people at her back had their wands ready to capture or kill the beast that might be hidden behind these doors. The reporter made sure to state that they would not have made it this far, was it not for the helpful _parselmouth_. He also promoted the new book release that was scheduled for the next day at 'Pandora's Box' in Diagon Alley.

 _"Open, says me,"_ came from the mirror.

This hiss caused the snakes to move around the door with hissing of their own. Soon the doors opened with an ominous screech. The adults all slowly crept into the large cavern.

Statues of snakes were everywhere. Water was dripping off the walls, the sound of it echoed throughout the room.

The party spread out and hid behind the statues and pillars that lined the room. It was up to Harry to see if he could control the Basilisk. The goblins and the hunters were ready to slay at a moment's notice. The only noise that could be heard above the dripping water was the reporter's furiously whispering of the events into his mic.

Now this password Harry knew from Sally, who got it from Salazar. The Founder didn't know the passcode of the sink, since it was set after his time. So when Amelia showed him the ugly statue, he hissed, _"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."_ The Potter twins had made sure that Sally gave Salazar a hard time over that.

The large snake slithered out and smelled all the prey in its tunnels. It was about to strike when a loud hiss commanded it stop. _"Who dares to try and control me?"_ it said to the unseen voice.

 _"Sasha, listen to me,"_ Harry hissed using the Basilisk's name. _"Salazar spoke to me from the grave. He wants you to go with these men and they will take you somewhere where there is prey. You will no longer have to haunt these tunnels."_

 _"You know my name? Let me see you, so that I may look upon one that was chosen as my Master's voice."_

 _"I cannot, for I am not there. I am only here in voice. I do speak for Salazar; he gave me your name so that you may know this. 'Sasha will listen,' he told me. 'Call her name and tell her that her Master commands she go with this group of slayers.' He does not want to see you dead. Please, close your eyes and coil up so they may transport you. Do this and they will know you comply. Do not and you will be killed."_ Harry begged the King… err… Queen of Serpents.

The large snake slithered around herself in thought and confusion. She knew well the voice spoke the truth about Salazar. But many of his heirs had also spoken to her, commanding that she killed the impure of the school. She was old and tired, maybe it was time to die. She continued to hiss and argue with herself, causing the team to get agitated.

They readied themselves to cast the charm to call the roosters. The goblins prepared their swords and reflective shields.

Finally the snake coiled upon itself, stilled and closed its eyes. She hid her head within the coils.

One of the wizards peeked around the statue that hid him, and when he saw she complied he took a shrunken metal box out of his robes and placed it on the floor. He cast the spell to enlarge it, keeping an eye on the snake the entire time. When the box was the size of Sasha, he nodded to Amelia and hid back behind the statue. When he was completely hidden she told the person to ask the snake to enter it. He did and the snake obeyed. The box was hauled away.

The rest was anticlimactic.

The reporter for the WWN went around the room and described it to his listeners, once again praising the 'person' who saved the lives of the team sent to capture the basilisk. Reminding them to purchase the new book, 'They're Not All Evil —The True History of Parselmouths'.

Snape looked on in wonder at that marvel of a chamber of one of the Founders. Already thinking of ways it could remain open.

Harry and the Ravenclaw gang, who were with him so that no one could say it was only Harry that was missing, went and joined the rest of the kids for dessert. The Mutineers of every House had hidden away until they got the word to join their House.

In the common rooms of all four Houses, the WWN was playing a blow by blow description of what was happening in the Chamber. Everyone was so enthralled with the reporter's words that they never noticed the group of second and first years that only now just joined them.

 **Hphphp**

The book went on sale the next day, and because of the happenings the previous day at Hogwarts, it was sold out by the end of the day. Xeno spent the night making more.

Older _parselmouths_ , who had remained hidden due to Riddle, came out and praised the book that freed them of the bad history of their talent. They gave interviews about what they did for a living. Most, like those in the book, were potion gatherers or village healers. There were only a few, but it still lent credence to the book and took the pressure off the 'person'.

The curly-haired reporter with the Quick Quote Quill tried to vilify the book as a cover up, but she had lost most of her following because of the lawsuits. She was furious. She had had an article already drawn up to take down the Potters on the hearsay of the students of Hogwarts. Now, because of the Chamber's opening being live, she couldn't use it. She would get them sooner or later, or her name wasn't Rita Skeeter.

Professor Watts had a house elf go and purchase the new book and used it in her class for every year. Once again, going against the Headmasters orders that she not do so.

There were of course those that still held Slytherin as the evil pure-blood that they were raised to believe. Those such as Ron Weasley, Faye Dunbar, and Leanne Jameson would not be swayed that _parselmouths_ were not evil. Faye and Leanne were vocal enough that they were taken from the Mutineers, and they too stopped remembering what the group was about. They teamed up with Ron, Seamus and formed their own small group. No one really paid them any mind.

Hermione was torn. Her group of friends was becoming very divided, and she didn't want to lose any of them. She was going to have to sit back and see how this played out.

Those such as the Malfoys and other Death Eater families would not believe that Slytherin was misunderstood. However, sheep will be sheep and these protesters were the minority.

The Potters once again dodged a bullet and this time their name was nowhere near the ruckus.

 **Hphphp**

 **A/N:** _The lecture is adapted from Harry Potter wiki, which I do know it not the end-all of all thing Potter, but I prefer it._


	26. Cute Kids and Stressed Adults

**Chapter 26 Cute Kids and Stressed Adults**

 **Thanks to my beta, darrelldeam, for going over this for me. All mistakes are my own.**

 _A couple of things, first this one pretty much stayed the same, but for combining two chapters. Second, just because they are flirting doesn't mean they are now couples. I remember flirting with boys when I was twelve. So yeah… it is just cuteness and nothing to be overly concerned about. Well that and the fact that the boys aren't ready. Third, yes some people will say that James should not have made a deal with the goblins, but if it saves them from having to go to war, and kills the Dork Lord sooner, I know I would have._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _November 14, 1992 Hogwarts_**

It was almost a week after the opening of the Chamber and the excitement had cooled some. The rumor mill was still going on who the _parselmouth_ was. Because the Potter name hadn't come up with the press, other names were banded about. Names like Malfoy and Flint were popular ones, and Draco used it to make connections, though he never said he was the heir. He admitted to Harry that his father was proud of him, and was also using the rumors further his relations with his connections. The older twin laughed internally and just shook his head at their antics. It would all come back and bite them one day.

Something subtle was happening within the Mutineers, only the older students and the Staff noticed. It seemed that the children were pairing off. Susan sat with Gary at every opportunity. Daphne was more discrete and only sat with Harry if Tracey or her sister joined her. Even Neville seemed to pair with Hannah. Terry was spending a lot of time with Mandy. And Luna and Spencer were seen studying together. Since there were far more girls in the Mutineers most of them paired with those outside the group. Hormones were starting to sneak up on the kids and they didn't even notice. Sally hung around the boys a lot, but other than training, she let them grow, though she too noted the girls getting glint in their eyes, when her boys were around.

As it was Saturday the group was just hanging out at the Hufflepuff table, which most of the yellow and black House were starting to call the Mutineer table. But, since they were never asked to leave they didn't mind, that and they were all for inter-house relations. A lot of them had made friends in other Houses over the years and now sat with them while studying.

Susan was sidling up to Gary, moving closer and closer without him even noticing. They were talking about the upcoming Quidditch match, between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. It would be Gary's first game. Ravenclaw won against Slytherin in the first game with Harry catching the snitch in under an hour. This did cause a bit of tension between the older Potter twin and young Malfoy, but soon enough they got back to being friendly associates. Gary was proud of his brother, and made it well known with his cheering during the game.

Susan was an avid sports fan. She enjoyed all the sports she had been introduced to at the Potter manor. She especially liked football. It was as they were talking that she got an idea. "Gary," she said, batting her eyelashes, "do you think we can get a game of football going. We haven't had one all years. I know how much fun it was last year and over the summer. I think we should start a game today and get the blood pumping." Her eyelashes fluttered over her pink cheeks.

"Do you have something in your eye?" Gary asked, peering at her face in concern. "I can take you to see Madam Pomfrey. I'm sure she has a wash or something. Then when we get that taken care of we can see who wants to play. I have a ball in my trunk, but I don't want you to play if there is something in your eye. You might get hurt or something," he added as he started at her face to see what was causing her eyes to move like that.

"No," the girl huffed at the clueless boy, "there is nothing in my eye. It must be some dust or something. Why don't you get the ball and I'll drum up some kids to play?" She moved back and glared at her giggling friends.

Gary shrugged and went to do as suggested. As he was leaving the Hall, he did wonder why all the upper-years were trying not to laugh and all the females in the gang were giggling. It was annoying.

 **Hphphp**

Harry, who was sitting with Daphne and Tracey, shook his head at his brothers retreating back. Thanks to his questioning his mother after his 'non-date' he knew what to look for. His mum told him to leave it to Gary to ask her or let him figure it out for himself.

"Well," Susan said, standing and looking at all the smirking faces, causing her to blush and huff again. "You heard him. Let's get some teams up so we can play, but, only those who have finished their homework."

Groans could be heard from the less studious among them. Ron and Seamus had risen to join the group, but on hearing that and Hermione informing them they still had homework, they sat back down. While the two boys were not part of the Mutineers anymore, the group decided to leave them alone. They didn't want to be accused of favoritism. So they didn't go out of their way to antagonize anyone. It made life in the dorm easier as well.

The Slytherins that were part of the study group declined playing. They were going to watch. They had seen the game on the telly at the Potter manor that summer, and were not inclined to getting dirty. Daphne, Astoria and Tracey were among them. They would cheer for their friends. They all did hurry from the table to grab cloaks and outerwear. It was cold out. Harry decided to sit with the girls and let Susan show off for Gary.

Everyone who was going to play got up and went to put on thick casual clothes. Gary was in running pants and a long sleeved t-shirt. Most of the group dressed the same. Soon enough everyone was gathered at the Quidditch pitch. One of the upper-year Ravenclaws conjured a net between two of the goal posts and the teams were picked.

Susan was goalie for Team One, whose shirts were turned blue. And Gary was goalie for the other team, whose shirts were turned red. Harry worried that they were on opposite teams, and hoped that it didn't cause conflict. Upon seeing Susan's playful face, he figured that she was going to take the opportunity to show off.

As the game was being played Daphne once again broached the subject of Gary and Susan. "You know she is going to win, right?" she said from her seat next to Harry.

"I know," Harry sighed as he watched his brother block a goal. He stood up and cheered with the rest of the crowd and then turned to the girl beside him. "Mum told me to let him figure it out for himself," he explained.

"Oh, when did you ask her?" Daphne inquired.

"After that day at the park, I wanted to know what to expect from a girl. And how to know if I am being flirted with," the dark haired boy said, a blush on his cheek. He had made sure not to lead this girl on, but she seemed okay with that. He was only just starting to get over his 'girls are icky' stage, but was nowhere near ready to start dating.

"Oh, what did she say?" the Slytherin girl said slyly. She didn't make her move yet, but she did make it so that Harry thought her opinion was worthwhile. She always made sure to speak up and offer advice when needed. She also defended him and his brother in her House. With all the half-bloods supporting the Potters, it was easy to sway the more susceptible of the Slytherins away from the pure-blood mentality. Cunning was the name of the game after all.

"Well, it was kinda confusing. There were so many different ways one can be flirted with. Like what Susan did earlier, with the eyelashes. Plus, the way she is always scooting closer to him in Study Hall. I mean it is pretty obvious that she is flirting," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I've wanted to tell him so many times, but Mum said it was part of growing up. She wouldn't have told me if I hadn't asked."

Tracey and Astoria giggled, making Harry turn and look at them. They just looked back with such complete innocence that he just shook his head and turned back to the game. Just in time to see the red team score. He cheered again and sat back down.

Daphne, on the other hand, glared at her best friend and sister. She waited until the crowd settled to get back to the discussion. "So, your mum didn't tell you anything else?" she asked, worried that all her plotting was going to be for nothing.

"Nope, that's all she said," he confirmed. Lily knew how Daphne was flirting, but like Gary, Harry would have to find out for himself.

Daphne let out a sigh of relief and turned back to the game.

The two teams played for an hour and red team won. Susan ran to her friend and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek to congratulate him. Gary in turn told her what a good goalie she was and gave her a high-five, which for some reason made her pout.

It was after dinner in the Gryffindor common room that Gary got his first clue.

"So, Gary, our" said one of the redheaded terrors of Gryffindor as he jumped over the back of the sofa and sat next to the young boy.

"young friend, why" said his equally redheaded twin, who copied his brother, only on the other side.

"didn't you tell us you were"

"dating the lovely Miss Susan?" they said together.

"Ickle Gary is all" Fred started, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

"grown up now," his brother agreed with a sage nod.

"How did we miss it, Gred?"

"I'm not sure Forge, but look at him."

"Awww, so cute," the Weasley twins said together as they reached out and pinched the confused boy's cheek, causing said boy to glare.

"What are you two morons talking about?" Gary asked his teammates and fellow Mutineers.

"You didn't notice the batting of the eyelashes?" Fred said with a look of awe. He knew the boy was clueless, but surely his dad had given him The Talk.

"Or the way she sits so close to you?" said George, putting his arm around Gary's shoulders and looking at the light starting to dawn in the young boy's eyes.

"Or the way she makes sure you have you favorite treat?"

"Awww, you are soooo cute," they said again, each taking a cheek to pinch.

"Well, no I didn't really think anything of it," Gary said as he started to understand. "Wait! You mean she _likes_ me?" he all but shouted.

The twins gave him a wicked smile, while they made their eyes look like he was dense.

"I mean, I knew she liked me," the dark-haired twin backtracked. "She kept holding my hand when we went to the park, but she said she wasn't allowed to date. I didn't think she _liked_ me liked me," he defended himself. While his brother was out of the 'girls are icky' stage, he was more into the 'what's a girl' stage. To him Susan was a girl who liked sports as much as he did. Knowing she was flirting with him just left him confused.

"She may not be allowed to date, but she is marking her territory," Fred said as he waggled his eyebrows and winked.

"Don't worry though, your ickle brother is just as oblivious," George said as he waved his hands airily, trying to cheer their young friend up. It wasn't that long ago that he and Fred didn't like girls either. But now that they were older, well girls took on a whole new meaning.

"But… but… we're twelve, isn't that a bit young?" Gary sputtered, trying hard not to blush. Then again he did enjoy her company this summer and they held hands all day.

"Well," George drawled, "maybe a little."

"Let me ask you this, young Gary. Do you think she's cute?" his brother said in all seriousness.

"Well, yeah, she's cute and all, but so are a lot of other girls," Gary answered still, wondering how this conversation even came about.

"Then you are not in the 'girls are icky' stage, welcome to puberty," the Weasley twins said as they nodded wisely and dropped the subject. They changed to the upcoming Quidditch match and went over some of the plays that Wood was drilling in them. Gary was glad the subject was dropped and enthusiastically mused about his first game, hoping to do as well as his brother.

 ** _Meanwhile in the Ravenclaw common room_**

"Hello, Harry," came the dreamy voice of Luna Lovegood as she sat next to her friend.

"Hello, little Luna," Harry said, pulling her into a one armed hug.

"I see the Nargles are starting to float around your head. Do you need a necklace to chase them away? Or did you want to talk about it?" she asked with her large eyes focused on the air around his right ear.

"I'm not sure why the Nargles are there, Luna," he said, swatting the area above his head good-naturedly.

"That won't work, you silly boy. You have to figure out why they are there and then come to a logical reason to rid yourself of them," she said with a giggle.

"Oh, I wonder what is bothering me," came the reply as his face scrunched up with confusion. He didn't think anything was troubling him.

"Well, what did you talk about today?" Luna asked with all seriousness.

"Hmmm, let's see, I talked about Quidditch and homework, but I talk about those every day, so that's not it. Ummm, I talked about the football game…." Then he paused and remembered his chat with Daphne. "Ohhhh that might be it, I talked to Daphne about Gary and Susan," he said, snapping his fingers.

"So you talked about relationships?" Luna asked with a cute tilt of her blonde head.

"Yup, we talked about how Gary is totally clueless that he is being flirted with," Harry said proudly.

"Hmmm, I don't think the Nargles are here about Gary. You might want to think on who is playing with you, then maybe they will leave you alone," she said decisively and then got up and wandered away.

"What?" Harry called after her, only to be ignored.

Terry sat down and shook his head. "You really are naïve, aren't you?"

"What?" he repeated dumbly, racking his brain as to who he missed flirting with him.

"You do know what the word subtle means don't you?" Terry asked, kicking his feet up on a foot stool, and enjoying the other boy's confusion.

"Of course I know what that means… Ohhhh, I get it," he said, dawning finally came and Harry blushed to the tip of his fingers. How could he have missed it?

"I see you understand now," Boot said with a smirk as he rocked his reclined feet back and forth in a very relaxed manner.

"Well, yeah. At least she's cute. I still think we're a little young for dating though," the older twin said, settling down now that he figured it out. Daphne was attractive and since she was discrete he didn't mind her flirting. However, he was going to have to have a talk with her.

"Yeah, I said the same to Mandy," Terry nodded as he got more comfortable. It was nice to see the Potter twins clueless for once. "She said her dad wouldn't let her date for a few years anyway. But, it sure is fun to make her blush." He winked at his friend.

The two boys talked about girls for a little while then they, like so many other boys their age, turned the topic to sports and Gary's first game.

 **Hphphp**

The next day while Gary hid from Susan, Harry went to find Daphne. He found her in the library and went to sit next to her. "So, I figured something out last night. Luna told me the Nargles are gone, so I know I was correct in my assumptions," he said, after taking a book out and pretended to read.

"Oh," Daphne said confused, "I didn't know you had Nargles." She looked at the air above his head, and then shook her head at herself. She had never been able to see Nargles, but that never stopped her from trying.

"It's okay, like I said they're gone now. Anyway, someone told me I was being naïve, and that I was not seeing something right in front of my face. Something a girl was doing," he hinted and when he saw the blush on her cheeks he continued. "I just wanted to let this girl know that I'm okay with what's happening as long as it stays this way for a few years yet. Maybe it will bring us closer, me and this girl," he said fighting his own blush. Then he got up, nodded to her and left the table. She was a smart girl she'd catch on.

As Harry was making his way outside to get some air, Gary came running up to him in a state of panic. He worried for a moment that something else had happened, until his brother opened his mouth that is.

"Harry, Susan is flirting with me. What do I do?" he asked as he pulled his older brother outside and started walking to the lake. He was hoping to hide from Susan, until he figured out how to handle this new development.

Harry laughed and went with his insistent brother. "Who finally told you?"

"The Weasley twins. Why? Did you know?" Gary asked, pushing his twin's shoulder.

"Yeah, but don't get mad at me, Mum told me not to tell you," the older one said, shoving the other boy back.

"Why?"

"She said you had to figure it out for yourself. I had to do the same it seems," he answered with a shrug.

"Really?" Gary perked up at this. "Who?"

"Daphne."

"Well, she's cute, a little shy for my taste, but cute."

"Yeah. So I told her that I think we need to keep it light until we're older. She seemed to understand. Maybe you need to do the same with Susan," Harry said as he picked up a rock to skip over the lake.

"Yeah, that might work. I still think you're a prat for not telling me," Gary said, looking for his own rock to skip. "Or maybe I can try and… I don't know… flirt back. You know like holding hands and such. I think I'm ready for that. I mean, she really likes sports and that's a plus in my book."

"That is completely up to you and Susan," Harry said as the two boys got into a contest on who could get the most skips. The older twin didn't understand how his brother went from complete panic to acceptance. But then Gary had always been more outgoing than Harry. He went from being depressed over the public calling him the Boy-Who-Lived to just shrugging them off last year— maybe it was part of growing up.

Gary did find Susan later and told her about his talk with Harry and the Weasley twins. She said she'd have to ask her aunt, but figured handholding wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately, her aunt didn't agree. So they decided there would be no more flirting this year, though they did still sit together.

The Staff, Sally and ghosts watched all of this, and most of them agreed that young love was cute. Not Snape of course, but most. Dumbledore didn't offer his advice, though he was unsure of Harry's choice in a Slytherin girl. He had already stepped on too many toes recently and held his opinion to himself. Since the Chamber incident was quickly handled, albeit not by him, he still maintained his position as Headmaster. However, it was a close thing.

 ** _Time skip with a medium narration_**

The secret studying was going well. None of the gang stayed out after curfew, bar the boys when the trained with Sally, and used classrooms near their dorms. The twins talked about showing the RoR, but Sally nixed it. It was unfortunate that the upper-years had to study on their own, but there was little the kids could teach them. Though they did teach the Weasley twins some defensive spells; and those two taught the Quidditch team, and they taught their friends and so on, so it wasn't a complete loss.

The point system was finally the friendly competition it was supposed to be. Inter-House relations were at an all-time high. With Snape remaining more neutral than destructive, the points given were fair and even. The professors were happy, the Board was happy, and even Dumbledore was moved that things he had been preaching for years seemed to come to pass. Although the Headmaster felt it was his own doing and not that of a bunch of young children.

The only glitch in the year was Gilderoy Lockhart. That man was a menace, his continuous bragging and gloating was wearing on everyone's nerves. The way he would reenact his books showed even the most loyal fans of his that he was a fraud. Some of the girls enjoyed and utilized his beauty tips, which, as far as they could tell, were the only spells the man could do. His constant use of the Potter twins in class was also grating.

At least the second years had learned not to jump to conclusions after Professor Steele was berated in front of them. McGonagall had taken to have the two boys graded independently this year as well. Though with what the fraud was teaching it was a chore, since very little of his homework was one defense and mostly on his 'heroic' deeds.

The bright spot of the class was that Sally had suggested to a few of the Halloween Ghosts that had been soldiers to help the _poor man_ along. So it was common to see a apparition in the class telling the students the correct way to do something, as they mocked the over-bearing blond professor, which in turn helped the upper-years. Since Gilderoy couldn't hex his way out of an open classroom, there was little the man could do. He tried to complain to Dumbledore, but was told these spirits had wills of their own.

Because Harry had never closed the way, the Chamber of Secrets was searched by curse breakers and a library was found. The books could not be removed from the room without them deteriorating. So the Board of Governors decided to let Alumni and Scholars come to the castle on weekends to make copies. During the week, after dinner and before curfew, the professors were allowed to give tours to the students. They weren't allowed in the library, but could view it from a roped off area. Professor Watts was the most enthusiastic in giving lessons about one of the great Founders.

Dumbledore was not pleased; it was something else that was out of his hands. He was losing more and more control of the school as the year went on. With his probation he didn't dare complain too much. He also left the Potter twins alone. He had done more research on the twin bond, even talked to Molly, and found that Harry had been correct. If he tried to separate the twins, he took the chance of making them squibs.

So now the Headmaster had to find a way to train Gary, and perhaps Harry, to defeat Tom when he returned. Maybe he could use this bond to make the boy hero stronger. Maybe he should make amends with the Potters, explain how he was wrong and try and work with them. He could use his past and get them to see that he could teach the boys, who judging by their grades could use more training. It was something to think about.

Ginny missed her diary friend for about a week. Then she realized that whoever took the book probably saved her life. After all her father warned her about trusting something that you couldn't see it's brains. So she shrugged it off and went about her business. She talked to the Potter twins and let her join the pro-security group, after she learned _Occlumency_.

Her twin brothers were ecstatic over that fact and helped her learn to keep it secret from the other two siblings in the school, which actually wasn't that hard. Ron was immersed in his own little group of friends. Percy was busy with his studies and trying to make sure he was Head boy next year. With the twins help in the mind art, Ginny now had a map and was given all the secrets of the gang.

The Christmas holidays came and went without fanfare. This year the Potters gifted everyone in the group with a new trunk. It was a three compartment trunk, because next year most of the kids would start their electives and have more books and homework. Those that had family trunks were given a certificate to either have the old one refitted or obtain a new one. Many chose the new as family trunks were heirlooms, and they didn't want to destroy family history. The other children were thankful for the gift, as well as the personal gifts given by the twins.

This year Ron didn't get a trunk, while they didn't fight with the boy, he still talked bad about them, and they decided not to award bad behavior. They would give the twins and Ginny their trunks on the train.

Most of the up-and-coming third years were taking three new classes next year; Arithmancy, Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. Only a few wanted to take Divination, like Parvati, Lavender, and Sally-Anne to name a few. And though the last two weren't part of the gang, so to speak, they were good friends of the group. Muggle Studies will see an all-time low in students, because the Mutineers had already shown half the younger years at Hogwarts how outdated it was.

There was a petition among the upper years to get a magic null room set up in Hogwarts, but no one was sure that it would work in a magic saturated castle. The Runes' and Charms' professors were looking into it so they could give the Board a report. There was also talk of a Muggle type library being built in Hogsmeade, complete with a computer room. It would be funded by a percentage of the proceeds of Pandora's Box, which would also expand to the village.

 ** _February 10, 1992 Gringotts_**

While the happenings of the school were going as well as could be expected, the Hunters were still scouring the wizarding world for the _horcruxes_. They had made little headway. So far the ring and the necklace were cleansed, with the help of Harry via the mirrors. They had given the diary to Amelia to use to negotiate with the goblins. The goblin in charge of vault security wanted to meet James, so here he was with Amelia waiting for that meeting.

They were sitting in a medium size room, which was decorated to impress and intimidate wizards. The table and chairs were large wooden monstrosities that were worn and pitted with what looked like sword marks. The outer rim of the room was lined with statues of goblin warriors of old. Their ferocious like visage made them look lifelike, as if they would spring in to action at any given second. Weapons were mounted on the walls, making almost every inch covered in bladed weapons. The lighting was kept bright so you could see the glint of metal, like it was warning you that these goblins had fought before and were not afraid to fight again.

James had to admit the room was impressive. It certainly did what it was designed to do. While he was admiring the weapons, three goblins walked in wearing their old-fashioned, but sharp business suits. One carried a briefcase in his spindly hands. The other two were armed. They marched in and sat opposite of two waiting humans.

"We have examined the diary you sent to us," started the one carrying the briefcase, "it is an abomination. Where did you come by it? And what do you want of us?" he directed his questions to James.

"Well, we are sure that the _horcrux_ was made by You-Know-Who," the oldest Potter said, leaning forward with his hands on the table in a non-threatening gesture.

The goblin nodded, they had come to the same conclusion. He made a get-on-with-it gesture.

"What we would like from Gringotts is for them to examine the vaults of the Death Eaters to see if there are more. I remember my contract stating that cursed items were not to be stored in the vaults. I am sure Madam Bones has already made this request," James said as he looked at the goblin in charge with an inquiring eyebrow.

"Yes, she has asked us to do such. What we fail to understand is what is in it for us," the still unnamed goblin said, returning the movement in kind with his bushier eyebrow. "We have no means to extract a soul piece, we can destroy the article, but you could do that on your own. So again I ask, what do you want for Gringotts?"

James sat up straighter and said, "We can rid the item of the horcrux without destroying it. We've done so twice, so, no, we don't require that. However, I would think the goblins would want to keep He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named from coming back. With these _horcruxes_ it is possible for him to do so," he added, not understanding the issue.

"You can truly do this?" the goblin asked, leaning forward with a greedy glint in his eyes. The treasures their curse breakers could recover would be worth buying the procedure.

"Yes, but you will have to talk to my wife, she is the inventor of the process," the messy-haired wizard said, making the goblin deflate. "How it is my turn to repeat, why won't you help?"

"During the last war we asked the Ministry for extra guards to help keep the bank secure. While the Dark Lord did not threaten our way of life, he did threaten our customers and that is bad for business. The Ministry said they would not spare people to protect the bank. So I ask again, what is in it for us?" the goblin snarled, his disgust showing on his wrinkled face.

"What do you want? I have little to offer, besides gold, and I know that goblins don't deal in gold," the wizard asked, going over anything he possessed that could sway the goblins.

"Our talks with Madam Bones indicated she was not here with the blessing of the Ministry. We concluded that you are a group of individuals that are working independently. We want what we always want, any goblin made artifacts that you may possess," the still nameless goblin smirked. It was something that wizards never gave up, for they didn't understand why something that was passed on to them should be returned to Gringotts. He figured this wizard would be the same. "Or the procedure you talked about earlier," he tacked on hopefully.

"As I said, you have to talk to my wife. However, if it is goblin made items you want—done," James said without thought. "And I'll even talk to my friends about doing the same. Though, I would like the option to repurchase the items. They have been in my family a very long time. Perhaps we can draw up a contract that upon my death my children will either negotiate with Gringotts to maintain the items or give them back."

All three goblins jaws dropped, Amelia looked just as stunned. This was not something they thought would happen. And had they asked before James got married it wouldn't have, it was Lily showing him the different cultures of the world, via the internet that made him realize that perhaps wizards had it all wrong in thrusting their beliefs on others beings.

"My name is Redaxe, and I am the head of security here at Gringotts. Madam Bones has indicated that there might be more _horcruxes_ here at the bank. While we do have a clause in the contracts, we are still setting a precedent that will make us look untrustworthy. Nevertheless, I have permission from the committee to go forward," the same goblin said a bit of respect showing in his beady eyes. The other two goblins were still in a state of shock. Redaxe pulled out some parchment from the briefcase and placed it on the table. "I can search one vault for every three pieces of goblin worked item that you bring me, plus I would very much appreciate it if you asked Mrs. Potter to come and visit Gringotts."

"I'll talk to her," the wizard promised. "Now, the Potter vaults contain a small amount of goblin made objects. I will hand all of them to you, again with the option to repurchase them. Let's negotiate," James said, now comfortable in his stance with the goblins. "I must add that I can only negotiate what I own. Hence, the reason you must talk to Lily. So, the items that are used to house his soul pieces are not mine. I cannot bargain them," he added, tapping his finger on the table.

"Done. We will find the 'owners' and talk to them in person," the lead goblin stipulated.

James and Redaxe sat at the table for two hours going over what was in the Potter vaults and what the goblins were willing to have repurchased. Some items had been too long in wizard hands and the clans that made them would more than likely want to keep them as the treasures they were. The oldest Potter worked hard to keep some of the heirlooms in his family. The contract was worked so each generation had to have a meeting with the goblins to rework it. If the clan that made the heirloom died out or didn't want the item any more, then it was the Potters to keep and the goblins would write it off as a loss.

In the end a time was setup to look over six Death Eater vaults, all of whom were currently in Azkaban. Sirius and Remus were coming to talk about selling the Dark Object Crystals to them, to help with the search. However, Gringotts would not look into the vaults of anyone not incarcerated. They were going to send a letter to everyone that had a vault in the bank reminding them that, as per the contract, all cursed items should be removed, or vaults would be confiscated. The vault holders had one week to comply.

"I have a question that has always bothered me. Why do you keep the vaults open to people who are supposed to spend the rest of their lives in prison?" Amelia asked. The Ministry has tried many times over the years to confiscate the vaults of Death Eaters, but to no avail.

"As long as our client isn't dead, and the fee can be paid, which we extract automatically from the vault, we see no reason to close their account. Besides, there are always family members that can claim them upon the death of said client. You wizards and witches are so inbred that almost anyone can make such claim —especially the Lestranges," Redaxe answered with a sneer of disgust as such a practice.

James nodded with agreement. Sirius had told him how many families the Blacks were kin to. It really was quite disgusting how _pure_ they kept their line. Even his family tree crossed itself a few times.

They left the meeting with the lead box that contained the diary. They had talked about writing in it to find out if it knew what the other _horcruxes_ were, but decided that it was too risky.

 **Hphphp**

The next day James called the Hunters together to give them a briefing on what happened at Gringotts. After his report the Hunters talked about what to do next. Soon the meeting was called back to order.

"Okay, settle down everyone. Augusta, any new news?" James asked, after rapping his knuckles on the table.

"Well, from what little I have put together I know that a cup was passed down through the Hufflepuff family, and through the centuries made its way to Hepzibah Smith. She was a friend of mine. She always boosted that her family kept the cup as a priceless heirloom. In 1946, from what I could find out, she showed the cup to Tom, who, as you know, was at that time employed at Borgin and Burkes. She dazzled him, and when he asked, she stated she could never part with it. It was her family that also possessed Salazar Slytherin's Locket, which we already have. She kept them hidden even from her family members," the elder Longbottom said, and then paused to take a sip of tea and to create a dramatic effect.

James and the others chuckled. "Okay, enough with the drama. What happened to the cup?" he asked even if he found it amusing.

"Poor Hepzibah was found dead two days later," Augusta sighed, saddened by the news that her old friend might have been murdered by Riddle. "Her elderly house elf, Hokey, recalled putting poison in the poor dear's cocoa. Rumor, however, says that Riddle had embedded a false memory in the poor thing. We are very certain that Tom did the deed. It was at that time the vile man fled with the items. By the time her family realized the cup and the locket were missing, he had resigned his post and was neither seen nor heard of for a decade." She finished with a sigh. She was glad that she finally got some insight to what one of the _horcruxes_ could be.

Lily smiled at the elder woman. "That's wonderful news. Well, not about Ms. Smith, but that he might have used the cup. Did you get any gossip on what else might have been obtained?" she asked, patting the elderly woman's hand to show she was sorry for her initial outburst.

"Well, Tom did ask many people about the Gryffindor sword and dagger. Slytherin was also said to have a cane, much like Lucius', but that has never been confirmed. Some of the Alumni of his year said he took an interest in the Ravenclaw ghost. It might be pertinent to have someone question her about what they talked about. The Bloody Baron was also seen spending a lot of time with him," Augusta said as she took back her hand and sipped her tea, with a proud look on her aged face.

James and Lily shared a look and nodded with understanding. "I'll ask one of the boys to talk to Professor Watts," the male Potter said, and then turned to the three men who made up Team One. "Have you found anything?"

Kenton nodded. "We went to the orphanage that Riddle grew up in. It's empty now, but we got in and searched the whole building. We didn't find any cursed objects, so we searched the offices. There was paperwork that mentioned his time there. Seems he was quite the bully, terrorizing the other orphans and such. There were some notes that he might have killed a pet, but it was never confirmed. There was mention of a cave, so we checked it out. It took us hours to get through the traps. We almost lost Wayne to the Inferi. We got out alive, as you can see, but barely," he said with a shrug. They knew this would be dangerous when they volunteered.

"There was a chalice that had a potion in it," Wayne took up the story. "You had to drink the potion to get to the necklace. We drilled a hole in the bottom and let it drain out. It took forever, but finally it emptied. The locket that we found inside, as you know, was a fake. There was a note in it that states someone with the initials R.A.B. knew what Riddle was up to, and they said that they took pride in stopping him. The poor man died not knowing that there was more than one _horcrux_. We think he was a Death Eater." Then he shuddered and continued, "It was as the liquid hit the lake that the Inferi attacked. I almost died in the fight to get free."

There were many sympathetic noises made among the rest of the group. Then a clatter of a cup dropping on the table was heard. Sirius stood and with a drawn face asked, "Do you still have the note?" His hands shook as he looked at Kenton with wide eyes.

"Yeah, sure," Kenton said and withdrew the parchment from his pocket along with the fake locket. He handed the note to the shocked man and waited with the rest of the team to see what had Sirius so shook up.

Sirius took the note with unsteady hands, not wanting to believe what he was thinking. He unfolded it and in a shaky voice read aloud;

 ** _"To the Dark Lord_**

 ** _I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more._**

 ** _R.A.B."_**

Sirius upon seeing the handwriting of his younger brother dropped back down into his chair. The piece of parchment fluttered to the table from his nerveless hands. Suddenly guilt overwhelmed him, he put his hands on his face and his shoulders started to shake.

"Sirius, what's wrong?" Lily asked, getting up to comfort the distraught Marauder. The rest of the group looked on, not understanding what could bring on such a violent reaction.

"Dear Merlin, all this time… I was so wrong… I could have helped… He didn't have to die…" the dark-haired man rambled. Great sobs shook his form as he cried for his brother.

Remus picked up the discarded note and realized what the problem was. He handed the note to James and went to comfort his friend.

"I see," James said with a sigh. He then turned to the other Hunters. "This was written by Sirius' younger brother."

"I thought you guys didn't associate with him in school. How would you know his handwriting?" Wayne asked, having seen the Marauders terrorize the younger Black and Snape in school.

"We use to steal the homework from him and Snape. We'd hide it and then put it back after the assignment was due," James explained. "We were bullies in school, there is no excuse for what we did," he offered with a shrug. What was done was done. "I think we should end the meeting here. We'll give Padfoot time to adjust and then meet back up in a week."

The rest of the team nodded and took their leave. Lily and the Marauders spent the rest of the night giving words of encouragement to Sirius. Letting him know he had no way of knowing that his brother had tried to rid the world of Voldemort. It took a long time; Sirius was too overcome by guilt. He did pull it together enough to continue the hunt for the _horcruxes_ , which he threw himself into with vigor. He would make it up to his dead brother by finishing what Regulus started.

During the week the goblins did find the cup and another meeting was held. Ten goblin artifacts were given for the item, after all they only negotiated to search for the cursed object, not to hand it over —the greedy buggers. The Hunters cleansed it and continued the search for more. They were hopeful now that four _horcruxes_ were cleansed. Just how many time can one render their soul?


	27. A Few Ruined Holidays

**Chapter 27 A Few Ruined Holidays**

 **AN: Thanks to my beta, darrelldeam, for going over this for me. All mistakes are my own.**

 _Okay so this one has a major time skip, because… well I don't want to give spoilers._

 _Thanks again for all the support._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _February 14, 1993 Hogwarts_**

It had been a busy year so far, for the Potter twins with Quidditch practices, secret studies, regular school work, and more secret studies with Sally. The only time they got free time was on the weekends. The Quidditch captains tried to take that away, but the teams put their foot down. Many of the upper years went to Hogsmeade, while the younger years played football and none of them wanted to give those up.

Valentine's Day morning, Harry wearily walked down the hall. He was just glad the week was finally over. He just had to get through Lockhart's class at the end of the day then it would be the weekend. Maybe he could get a game of football going tomorrow. Now that he and his brother had decided that romance would be put on the backburner for a few more years, he wasn't too concerned about Valentine's Day.

He and Gary had made sure that each girl in the study group received a white rose and a card stating how nice it was to have them as friends. They made plans to do this just after breakfast. The twins had already talked it over with Daphne and Susan, and both said they understood and thought it was a nice gesture.

The poor tired boy walked into the Great Hall, and he was surprised when he found it decorated like cupid came in last night and vomited from the ceiling. Enormous gaudy pink hearts were hanging over all the tables, including the Staff Table. Little pink paper hearts were fluttering down like rain from the enchanted ceiling and cluttering up the student tables, covering the food that was there, making it almost impossible for the children to eat. The older twin went to the Ravenclaw table, sat down next to Terry, and looked at the staff to see how they were taking it.

The teachers looked grumpy. McGonagall's cheek was twitching violently, and Snape looked like he was about ready to render someone into potion ingredients. The only two people at the Staff Table that seemed to be enjoying the commotion were Dumbledore and Lockhart. Dumbledore was dressed in various shades of pink robes with purple hearts floating about. Lockhart was similarly attired, only he had on a purple suit with a hideous pink cape.

Gilderoy stood and addressed the students, "Happy Valentine's Day!" he shouted, making quite a few groan. "And may I thank the ten people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all — and it doesn't end here!"

The overblown peacock clapped his hands and through the doors marched a dozen surly looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, no, the poor things were wearing golden wings and carrying harps. They all looked like hairy cupids that would kill you if you didn't listen to them.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed the blond idiot. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues…" he started only to be interrupted by Flitwick.

"Will do nothing," the diminutive professor stated as he stood on the table. "Sit down, Gilderoy, you've already ruined breakfast," he stated, waving at the paper covered food.

"Now, now, Filius, it is all in good fun," Dumbledore stated, scooping up some eggs and cleaning the paper away with a spell.

The Charms teacher harrumphed and took his seat.

Lockhart thinking this was permission to continue started to say, "Like I was saying…"

Suddenly a flurry of wings could be heard as dozens of owls swooped into the Hall. All carrying in a single white rose. They landed in front of various girls of all Houses in third, second and first year. Many noted they were the girls from the Mutineer Study Group.

"Oh, how pretty," Luna said loudly, making sure everyone around her heard, as she took the rose from the owl. "And white too, this will keep the Nargles away. White is for friendship you see, and friends always drive those pests away." She nodded serenely and went about trying to find food that didn't have little pink hearts on it. Padma and Mandy also nodded their heads in agreement as they too took their roses.

The DADA professor sat with a sulk as a collective sigh was heard among the hormonal teen girls of the Hall. The older years didn't get white roses, but they thought it was a romantic gesture anyway. This caused many of the upper year boys to groan. They started scrambling to get valentines written so that dwarfs could deliver them to their girlfriends or crushes. Might as well use them since they were there.

Another flurry of wings sounded as the normal mail owls came through the hole, and more valentines were delivered. Packages and cards were given to a larger population of the older girls. Two of the girls at the Gryffindor table sat up as their cards exploded into words that glittered above their heads.

 **We think you're pretty.**

 **We think you're smart.**

 **Quidditch is wonderful with you as a part.**

 **Happy Valentine's Day**

Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, two of the team's chasers, blushed red, making the smiles on their faces stand out more. They got up and went to one of the Weasley twins each, and gave them a kiss on the cheek as a thank you. The twins fake swooned, and fell dramatically from their seats, which in turn earned them a cuffing. The crowd clapped, you could always count on those twins to lighten up any mood.

Breakfast was finally over, and classes started. Professor Watts gave the confusing history of the martyrs that used to be celebrated on this day, and how it morphed into a day of love.

All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers, and late that afternoon as the Gryffindors were walking upstairs for Charms, one of the dwarfs caught up with Gary.

"Oy, you! Gary Potter!" shouted a particularly grim-looking dwarf, elbowing people out of the way to get to him.

Gary and his friends stood and waited for the embarrassing moment to be over. Harry stood further down the hall and tried not to laugh at his brother; it didn't work as tears of hidden mirth wetted his eyes. The younger twin glared at him, with a mental promise of retribution, which caused the elder to burst out with laughter. His Ravenclaw friends looked at him, then at Gary's disgruntled face, and they broke out in smiles at the twins' antics.

"I've got a musical message to deliver to Gary Potter in person," the dwarf said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.

Gary sighed, "Let's hear it then." He put his bag down and stood with his arms folded. The crowd around him stopped to hear.

"Right," the dwarf said, twanging his harp again. "Here is your singing valentine:

 **"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad.**

 **His hair is as dark as a blackboard.**

 **I wish he was mine.**

 **He's really divine.**

 **He's the hero that conquered the Dark Lord."**

Lockhart should be shot, because these dwarfs couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. Now that the off-key valentine was delivered, Gary picked up his bag as the students that filled the hall laughed.

"Well, my day is now complete," the dark-haired boy said, laughing with the rest of them. "Thank you for delivering that, and I hope that you have no more for me today." He bowed to the poor dwarf and went to class, his brother's laughter sounding in his head. He did wonder who sent such an awful valentine.

Harry, still chuckling at his brother's plight, went to DADA. He hoped that the blond git wouldn't be reenacting any of his books today. Maybe the ponce would take a day off and just read them his valentines. It was not meant to be.

"Today we are going to be discussing my famous book 'Holidays with Hags'. If you have done the reading you will know, how I took on the hags and made them beautiful women. They, of course, immediately fell in love with me. Who could blame them, I am fabulous," Lockhart said, after the class had settled, and flashing his sparkling smile.

Harry and most of the class grumbled. They pulled out the useless book, and waited for what was sure to be something stupid. Thank Merlin, the Hufflepuff Soldier showing up.

The Hufflepuff Soldier never gave his name. He only let the school know that he was once in Hufflepuff, and died in the war with Grindelwald. It is his goal to make sure that people didn't see Hufflepuff as a House of duffers. He was the most vocal in this class and his corrections on Lockhart. When he did this they were the best lessons the students had.

"There is no spell to make a hag beautiful. They don't want to be anyway. Hags like being who they are, they are Dark by nature. You are once again making it up," the soldier said from his usual place at the front of the class.

Gilderoy gritted his teeth and put on a pained smile. "Pay no attention to that grumpy ghost. He is just jealous that he can't do the things I can," he said as he tried to get in front of the apparition. "Let's see, who shall we pick today to play the part of the head hag…?" he inquired as he pretended to think.

Harry thumped his head on the table, and shook it from side to side in denial. Terry patted his friend on the back in commiseration; they all knew what was coming.

"Harry Potter, being the studious boy that you are, I'm sure you read my book. Come on up here and we'll show the class just how wonderful I am." The blond moron smiled that too bright smile, and waved the reluctant boy forward.

Harry grumbled under his breath and slowly walked to the front of the classroom. He stood in front of the fraud and waited.

"Now, I know you're not the hero that your brother is, but I'm sure you could pull off playing the part of a hag well enough," Lockhart said, taking Harry by the shoulders and placing him in front of the desk. He moved the poor boy around like a tailor's dummy, making him stand hunched over with his head bowed, arms raised half-way up his body with gnarled hands and fingers stretched out in front of him. "Now you stand right there, and when I ask you what you want you simply quote my book."

Harry could only nod and stand looking stupid. They had tried to get this man classes banned, but as long as no one was hurt the Board felt he was harmless and the curse would rid them of him before the year was out. He had an iron clad contract to teach for the year. The Board did, however, take great pleasure in telling Dumbledore that all new teachers had to go through them from now on and that curse breakers would be finding a way around the one on the DADA class.

Lockhart stood in front of Harry and said in a loud voice, "What do you want of me, you ugly hag?" He posed as if he was a great hero. His shoulders were thrown back, his head was held high, his hands were placed on his hips and his feet were apart. He was very good at acting his part, and if the girls in class didn't know he was a fraud they would have sighed.

Harry gritted his teeth and said, "Please, wonderful Lockhart, I've heard of your wonderful deeds and I want you to make me and my coven as beautiful as you." He choked out the words written in the fool's book.

"Why of course I will, though you can never be as lovely as I, I will make you as pretty as I can," the pounce said and he raised his wand to the still snarling Harry. " _Ossa_ _evanescunt_ " he said and the Hufflepuff Soldier could be heard in the back ground shouting "NO!"

Now Harry had played the bad guy for Lockhart all year and nothing bad had happened so far. So at the Soldiers warning shout, he only threw up a weak shield with his hand held in front of his face. Never would he have imagined that the fraud could break one of his wandless shields, so when the spell hit, he was shocked when it did. That was when his hand it got a funny sensation. It tingled for a moment and then flopped down onto his arm. The bones had vanished. It didn't hurt, but it felt as if the end of his arm was jelly.

 _'So much for playing football this weekend,'_ Harry thought. "You arse," he hissed, "You could have killed me," he stepped forward only to have the Soldier stand in front of him. It was the man's warlike expression that made the older twin to step back.

The Mutineers shot out of their seats at the Soldiers yell and when they saw Harry's hand plop down boneless, they started shouting at the fool teacher.

While the Soldier held Harry back with a look, he took charge and yelled for silence. "You, Brocklehurst, go to the mirror and call Pomfrey. Let her know what happened. You, Corner, take Mr. Potter to the infirmary. Brocklehurst, when you are done call Flitwick and tell him what Lockhart has done and that I will be attempting to get this fool into the headmaster's office. The rest of you are dismissed, go to the library and study real defense," he snapped out his commands, and the students jumped to do as ordered.

Michael gathered up his and Harry's books, and then took the fuming teen by his uninjured arm and lead him to the hospital wing.

"My folks are going to kill him. If I hadn't raised my hand that fool could have killed me, the spell was aimed right at my face," Harry said, stomping his way down the hall. He was understandably pissed off.

Corner just nodded his head and when he delivered the upset boy, he quickly made his escape.

Madam Pomfrey was waiting with a bottle of Skel-a-grow. "Oh, that fraud," she stated as she started to fuss as soon as Harry was settled on a bed. "I'll see him in Azkaban for this."

Harry sighed, he knew that wouldn't happen, but he nodded his head in agreement. "Are you going to call my parents?" he asked, not knowing if she had a mirror that wasn't one of the big ones.

"Yes, when I'm done settling you in," she said softly, holding a vial to his mouth. "This will put you to sleep."

"Oh, okay," he said as he got sleepy form the potion she had just given him.

It would take a day for the bones to grow back, and Harry needed to be knocked out as it was a painful process. After the potion was administered and her patient was sleeping, Madam Pomfrey used the mirror to call the Potters and let them know what happened. Needless to say they were upset, she did assure them that no lasting harm was done, however, and she would be taking it up with the Headmaster.

Lockhart didn't listen to the Soldier. He promptly went to his room and started packing. An hour later when the Potters showed—he was gone. That didn't stop them from confronting Dumbledore.

"How could you let this happen?" Lily asked furiously as she stood by her sleeping child's bed. James and Remus were standing on the other side.

Dumbledore was standing at the foot of the bed his face was lined with worry. He knew the man he hired was a fraud, however, he felt the man was harmless and there weren't any other applicants that year. People just didn't understand how hard it was to fill that position. "My dear, Mrs. Potter, I am sure it was an accident. Poor Gilderoy must be filled with such regret that he has fled the castle. I, of course, take my students health very seriously. I have already spoken with Madam Bones and she informed me that she will look into this," the aged man said compliantly. He knew now was a good time to try and get on the better side of the Potter family. So he didn't hide the happenings as he usually would.

"That man was such a fraud that he _accidently_ vanished bones. I hold your school responsible for this," Lily bit out not in the least mollified.

"Of course, my dear, we will do all we can to make sure that something like this does not happen again. The Board is looking into finding a competent teacher," the Headmaster said once more trying to calm the woman in front of him. "I am going put in a request for our dear friend, Mr. Lupin, to be next year's professor. I was going to ask him this summer if I got the approval," he said with a smile, turning to the werewolf in question.

"You want me to teach a school full of children knowing about my affliction?" Remus questioned. While he did hold a Masters in Defense, he felt that it was too dangerous to be around that many innocents. When he was teaching the Mutineers he simply didn't go to the Manor during the full moon. Staying at Hogwarts was another matter.

"Of course, my dear boy, you are more than qualified. Severus assures me that he would be more than happy to brew the Wolfsbane potion for you," the Headmaster said, ignoring the scoffs of the two men. "And the Hufflepuff Soldier says he can take your classes on the full moon. The Board will know all of this when I put forth my recommendation," Dumbledore said with an assured smile.

"What about accommodations?" Remus asked, still worried about the children.

"You can, of course, go home during the full moon as I am sure it is much more secure that anything we can set up. I do know that you are more comfortable in a well-known environment," the old man stated as he ran a hand down his beard.

"As long as the Board knows who and what I am, and I can go home. Then I will be more than happy to take the position," Remus said as James clapped his friend on the back. "But, what about the curse?"

"The curse breakers will be here all summer to see if they can override it."

"Well, even if they can't it would be nice to teach for even a year," the werewolf said, and then looked to his godson. If he had been here, then this might have been avoided.

"Who is going to teach for the rest of this year?" Lily asked as she ran her hands through Harry's dark hair. He was sleeping peacefully, though every now and then his face would screw up with pain.

"In my discussion with Amelia, she recommended an off duty Auror, just like last year," Dumbledore said the twinkle back in his eyes now that the yelling had stopped.

"As long as it isn't some Boy-Who-Lived fan," James muttered under his breath.

The Potters and Remus stayed long enough to be assured that Harry would be fine in the morning. Dumbledore made the announcement that Gilderoy Lockhart would not be teaching the rest of the year. The students cheered. The Headmaster then introduced the Auror who would be taking his place.

He was a young man, about twenty-five, by the name of Robert Stallman, who seemed to be content in his temporary position. He was off duty due to an injury to his knee. His was medium height and could be lost in any crowd with his unassuming brown hair and hazel eyes. He dressed in a plain black robe over a simple white polo shirt and tan trousers. His specialty was infiltration, a skill he was more than happy to pass on to the students. The Weasley twins took to the class like ducks to water.

 **Hphphp**

The Hunters were at a standstill, they had looked everywhere they could think of and found nothing new. They did bring Mayur Patil into the group upon his request. They gathered once again in a dining room of the Potter manor, the Hunters sat disheartened at their lack of progress. They were happy that they had earned more gold for the war fund from the goblins by selling them the _use_ of their inventions, which they patented first.

"I am happy to be part of this group, and I do understand the vow that you made me take. What I don't understand is why you are keeping this apart from the other parents," Mayur said from his place between Wayne and Gifford.

"We felt that we shouldn't burden the other parents with something as Dark as what we are hunting. There is enough pressure on them to keep things… in group, so to speak," James explained, running his hand through his hair.

"Then you are acting no better than Albus Dumbledore," Mayur exclaimed, sitting up in his chair. The small group gave indignant protests, causing him to hold up his hands. When they quieted down he explained in a softer voice, "I know you don't mean to, but you are withholding information that others can help you with. This is something that the Headmaster is known for. An example, how are you eliminating the artifacts of the soul pieces?" he asked, placing his hands in a teepee under his chin.

"Lily and Albert came up with a way to use the powder that we used to dispossess Quirrell," James explained with a look of pride to his wife and his friend. "They put the item in a heavily warded room in the cellar, where there is no windows and only one door. The artifact is placed in the center of the room. Then they use a wind spell to blow the dust in the room, close the door and ward it. It's only after they hear the soul piece scream that the door is open again and the item removed. Or we leave it for the day and return the next. We then use the crystal to make sure it is cleansed."

"What of the curses on the items?" Mayur asked, though he did seem impressed at the tactic.

"Team One here," James said, pointing to Wayne, Gifford and Keaton, "by hobby, are all curse breakers. They take care of the curses before we purify the items."

"While I am impressed that you made it so far, in India we have a way to cleanse _horcruxes_ with only a spell. Had you consulted the parents on what you were doing, I would have told you a long time ago," Mr. Patil chastised the group with a disappointed look in his dark eyes.

James and Lily shared a look. Were they really acting like Dumbledore? The rest of the group took on various facial expressions from shock to understanding.

"You're right," the older Potter conceded with a sigh. "We'll talk to everyone next weekend. We'll tell them that we are working on something Dark and ask them if they want to be involved." He stood and ended the meeting for the night.

After everyone left Lily brought the subject up again. "I don't want to act like Dumbledore," she said as she snuggled into her husband's embrace.

"I didn't think we were until Mayur pointed it out. I'm still not sure we are, but he's correct, we could've come further in our hunt if we had consulted everyone. We'll make it up to them," James said as he rubbed her arm in comfort.

"You're probably right, I just hope they take it well," she said, and leaned her head on his shoulder. They sat in quiet for a long time, each contemplating on how the parents would react.

 ** _Time skip with a very short narration._**

The next weekend a meeting was called and the Hunters came clean about what they were doing. Many of the parents protested that they should have been referred to, but after profuse apologies they were appeased and many bowed out of the hunt. They did gain a few more people who had experience in tracking Dark objects though. The hunt was still on.

The rest of the year passed uneventfully for the students and staff of Hogwarts. Madam Bones caught Lockhart trying to leave the country. He was brought up on charges in front of the Wizengamot, but the incident was ruled as an accident, and he was let go with only a fine. His book sales plummeted and his fan mail trickled off to only the most die-hard fans. So he changed tactics and wrote beauty tip books that sold like hot-cakes to the middle aged witches of the community. If there was one thing that could be said about Lockhart, he was handsome.

Ravenclaw won the House Cup, thanks to Harry's seeker skills. There was a huge party where all the Mutineers gathered in the Great Hall and saluted him with their cups. Gary was ecstatic that at least Slytherin didn't win for once. Romance was still on the backburner for the young couples, which their parents and guardians were very thankful for.

Sally was mostly staying in the background letting the ghosts watch. She still trained the boys, but let them grow.

Soon it was time to go home and the Mutineers once more were at the top of their class, with Harry and Gary being fourteen and fifteen respectively.

Thanks to Lockhart's blunder, Dumbledore was threatened with dismissal, but the staff pointed out that it was the Board that kept the man there; he was let off with a warning.

 ** _July 30, 1993 Longbottom Manor_**

So far the summer was going great for the Potter twins. Their parents finally let them go to friends' houses without being accompanied by an adult, as long as there was someone of age at the house they were going to. Harry and Gary were ecstatic as they visited the Greengrasses, the Boots and the Bones and so many other places. They even went to the Thomas's and had a wonderful afternoon playing football with Dean.

This year they were celebrating their birthday with Neville and his family. It was going to be a small party, only the two families and Marauders. It was Neville's year to pick what they did, and he wanted to go on the 'A Walk through the City of London' tour to visit all the historical gardens. This walk explored nearly 2000 years of London's history, with gardens built around Roman remains, church ruins, the city livery companies, churchyards, and bombsites from World War II.

It was going to be a long walk, since it normally took two hours, but with Neville as a guide it would more than likely take five. Which was okay with the rest of the party, it was his birthday after all. They started the day at the Longbottom manor, each person dressed in comfortable clothes and sturdy boots or shoes.

"Are we ready? Does everyone have their backpacks?" Frank asked, looking over the boys to make sure they had the proper shoes.

"Yes, Uncle Frank/Dad," came the exasperated responses from the three boys. They had already gone over this. Sirius and Remus chuckled while the parents all got stern looks on their faces.

"Watch your cheek," Alice said with a firm motherly look at the three teenagers. Well the Potter twins won't be teens until the next day, but it was close enough to count.

"Sorry," a contrite triple chorus was heard.

"Make sure you have your lunch, and some dried fruits and nuts. It's going to be a long walk and I want you to have some energy food. I have juice boxes and water," Alice said, going through her own backpack. They were taking the extendable backpack the Potters had gifted everyone. Neville was sure to want to pick up any gardening books available. "Better carry an umbrella, it might rain," she muttered to herself and picked up a few of said items and handed them out.

"Yes, Aunt Alice," Harry said, looking through his own bag making sure he had everything he needed. The two other boys followed suit.

Soon enough everyone was ready and they all trooped to outside the wards. Frank and Alice took the lead; the three boys were at the middle, and James, Lily and the Marauders manning the rear. They rode the Knight Bus to St Paul's underground station, which is where the walk started.

Neville was happy with most of these gardens. The history behind them fascinated the whole group and everyone had a good time on the walk. They ran into Sally Anne in the Finsbury Circus and ate lunch with the shy Hufflepuff. The birthday boy invited her to join the group, but she declined, stating she already had plans for the day. The boys accepted this and sat and shared the onion soup and ham sandwiches that the Longbottom house elves packed for them. The Longbottom heir talked about all the trees, plants and flowers they had seen, and was waxing poetic on the history of all the sights.

The places they went and explored after that were; St Anne and St Agnes church, Goldsmiths' Company St John Zachary Garden, St Mary Aldermanbury Garden, Aldermanbury Square, Girdlers' Hall, Finsbury Circus Garden, Barbican Estate Lakeside Gardens and Terrace, Salters' Garden, St Alphage Garden, Monkwell Square, Barber-Surgeons' Hall Gardens, Museum of London, Postman's Park, Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden, St Paul's Cathedral Churchyard Garden, Festival Gardens and ended at 25 Cannon Street Gardens.

They did stop and pick up a few books on the histories and the plants in the gardens, James paid for them as a birthday present. After the walk they all went back to Longbottom Manor, cake was eaten and presents were handed out.

Neville received mostly greenhouse equipment from everyone. Now that he was a teen, his parents decided that they would let him build and operate his own greenhouse, whereas before he had only been allowed to help the house elves in the Manor's greenhouses. With the stuff he received today, he could build a medium sized greenhouse, and place less dangerous plants within. He was so happy with this that he jumped up, gave his parents huge hugs and bounced around the room.

The twins gave him some starter plants from the Potter gardens, and a few they picked up in London. They were mostly roses for the Longbottoms' yard.

Harry and Gary both were gifted clothes, robes, new seeker gloves, and broom repair kits.

All three boys received various gifts from their study group, like chocolates, books and study guides. There was nothing too fancy or overpriced. They had made sure to give these types of gifts for birthdays, so that people didn't feel they had to buy them expensive gifts on theirs.

Gary also received many cards and token gifts from fans, though not as many as he had when he was a baby. The house elves had already made sure they were safe. The Potters would spend the next day writing and sending Thank You notes.

It was a fun day had by all and the tired group went home content, until the next day.

 ** _July 31, 1993 Potter Manor_**

Even though it was their birthday there was no party, since they celebrated the day before. The twins were quite used to it and had made plans hang out with their friends. The boys had just been about to leave for the Boots' to have a pick-up game of Quidditch with a group of Mutineer boys, when they were stopped at the Floo room.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked as soon as he saw his mother's pale and drawn face.

At first she didn't say anything she just took the boys by their hands and led them into the game room. The twins were protesting about being kept home, Lily ignored them and pulled them along. When they got halfway there she said, "Peter escaped."

"What! How?" Gary exclaimed as he followed his mother, with this news he no longer had to be pulled along. Protest died on their lips.

"We don't know. All we know is that he broke out of Azkaban about three hours ago. He killed a guard and got away. He has the guard's wand, and is considered armed and dangerous. He was heard the day before stating 'I have to get to him. Master would be pleased.' We don't know if he is talking about kidnapping you, or finding Voldemort," Lily explained, guiding the shocked teens into beanbag chairs.

Harry looked at Gary, Gary looked at Harry and both faces took on a look of determination. They weren't scared eleven year olds anymore. They had been training for this type of situation for years now. Both boys were proficient in wandless and wordless defensive magic. They could take on a weak wizard like Pettigrew.

Lily seeing the look on the boys' faces got worried. "I don't want you two to go looking for that traitor. Defend yourselves and your friends, but don't go searching for trouble. Let the adults handle the hunt," she said in her mother voice making sure to catch their eyes.

"Yes, Mum," Harry said, while talking to Gary mentally about what they were going to do. They had finally been able to hold two conversations at once, one mentally and one verbally. It was tricky and it took them years to perfect, but they had accomplished it last year in school during their boring classes or Study Hall.

" _Do you think he'll come after you?"_

 _"I don't know, maybe, but if he does I'll be ready,"_ came Gary's reply.

"Look, boys, I know you've trained for this, but as pathetic as he is, Peter is a cunning man. He'll try and trick you. Remember he was a Marauder, and it had been he that made escape routes, which is not an easy feat," their mum said, making sure that they didn't underestimate the escaped convict.

"Okay, Mum, we understand. We won't go looking for him, but we need to tell the Mutineers that he is out there. Is it going to be in the paper?" the younger twin asked, going over plans to call everyone as soon as they were done talking to their mum.

"Yes, the Minister couldn't keep it under wraps. Not with the death of the guard. Besides, he has to let the Prime Minister know in case Peter goes to the Muggle world."

"Will the wards here keep him out?" Harry asked, looking around the room like he could see the wards.

"Yes, but your dad is making a map of the Manor. Just like your school maps. We'll post it in the Main Hall so that we can keep an eye on it. When we are not there the house elves have volunteered to watch it," she explained, hoping to ease their worry.

The boys chuckled at the thought of the hyper Dobby staring at the map. He was still as clingy as ever and made sure to hug Harry's knees whenever they were in the same room. They then sobered and shared a thought.

"We should get the whole group together and teach them how to make their own maps. It's well known we have many friends and they'll need every tool they can get to protect themselves," Harry said, running his hand down his face. It had been such a good summer.

"That is a good idea, you call your friends and I'll get with your dad. Sorry your birthday was ruined," Lily stated, hugging and kissing both boys.

"It is… well not okay, but there is little to be done about it," Gary said, returning the hug.

The boys went to their own room and pulled out their mirrors, Harry would take the boys and Gary would call the girls. The Potter adults did the same, only James would call the husbands and Lily the wives. Everyone they had ever been friends with was given a call, either via mirror or Floo. Lily also called the professors and warned them, including Dumbledore, though he already knew.

 **Hphphp**

A week later the entire pro-security group was called together, and an argument broke out between the adults, while the kids were outside. Amelia informed them that Fudge wanted to put _Dementors_ around Hogwarts to guard the castle. No one thought this was a good idea, but that's not what the argument was about. No, it was on whether to give a map to the Headmaster. Most of the group didn't want him to have that kind of power over their children. Others argued that it was the only way to keep the kids safe.

In the end the majority won and the map was kept secret. However, a committee was formed to talk to Fudge about what an idiot he was. It was decided that if they could get Auror protection at the castle then the person in charge of that detail would be given a map, if they swore an oath not to reveal it to anyone. Amelia would be in charge of that.

James, Frank, Xeno, Albert, Derryl, and Aric were the pure-bloods that formed the committee. They agreed that only pure-bloods would talk to the Minister as the man would listen to them better. Each father only had one child, bar James, and they would use that as a reason not to put the demons at Hogwarts. It was the reason that the Greengrass' and the Patils wouldn't be going. James was included because he had the most political clout. Plus, he could use the Boy-Who-Lived card. The wives argued for a while, but it was decided that women would not have the same voice as the men. The only female that would accompany the group would be Amelia.

The next morning dressed in their finest robes, the team descended on the Ministry. They made an impression as many wizards and witches stopped and stared, wondering why such important people were converging on the Ministry. The committee went through the wand check, and marched straight to the Minister's office.

"Do you have an appointment?" the harried secretary asked. She had been fielding owls, Floo and mirror calls all morning. So far the Minister had blown them off as unimportant.

"No, but if you tell the Minister we are here, I am sure he will find some time for us," James answered, making sure to keep his voice neutral and proper.

"Who may I tell him is here?" she inquired, finally looking up from her paperwork.

"James Potter and company," James said importantly.

"Please take a seat, and I'll let Minister Fudge know you're here," the secretary said, pointing to the chairs that lined the wall by the office door.

The men complied and listened to the poor woman tell the Minister that they were there.

"Minister," she said as she went into the office, leaving the door slightly open, "there's a group of men and Madam Bones out here that want to talk to you."

"Well, who are they? I am a busy man, you know," snapped the Minister.

"One is James Potter, and from the way they're dressed I would say the rest are his pure-blood friends," she said harshly back, knowing that it would get the man to see this group.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Send them in, don't keep them waiting," came the frantic reply.

The woman huffed and came back into the waiting area with a smirk playing on her face. If they were there for what she hoped they were there for, then they could do a better job at convincing the Minister than she could. Her son was set to start Hogwarts this year and she didn't want those monsters around him, but the Minister didn't listen to lowly office workers. She was quite put out with the man and if she didn't need this job, she would have quit.

"The Minister will see you now," she said, waving them through the door with a wink.

"Ummm, thank you?" said a confused James. Then he and his group stepped into the Ministers office.

The office was pretentious with its gaudy chairs and tables that were set around a large oak desk, which had a wood and gold throne like chair that the Minister sat in. Many certificates and medals, of past Ministers, hung on the wall. You would never know they weren't Fudge's unless you looked closely. Golden statues were in the corners and expensive vases were on the tables. A fine looking floral rug took up most of the floor, too bad it clashed with the furniture.

The men and Amelia took seats without waiting for an invitation, causing the portly man behind the desk to sputter. "What can I do for you today?" Fudge asked after a minute.

"We want to know why you are trying to end our lines," Frank said with a rising of his eyebrow.

"I never… why would you even think that?" Fudge asked in confusion, going over any deed in the past week that would make these people feel that way, and came up with nothing.

"You are putting soul sucking monsters around our only heirs. What else are we supposed to think?" Derryl spat, making the Minister sweat.

"No, no, good sirs and lady, I am only trying to protect the children," Fudge defended himself. ' _Maybe Dolores' suggestion was a bad one after all,'_ was the thought running through his tiny brain.

"Understand this, Fudge, if my son gets _Kissed,_ I am suing you for line theft," Frank said venomously as he pounded his fist on the desk.

"Answer, me this," James said coolly. "How are a bunch of children supposed to protect themselves from _Dementors_? It is not like those demons can be controlled. I would also like to know how those… guards are supposed to capture a man who has escaped them once already." He sat back in the uncomfortable chair and glared at the now profusely sweating man.

Amelia spoke up, "Cornelius, perhaps it would be better if we post human guards at the school and Hogsmeade," she suggested, trying to get the man to see reason, "ones that have never been to Azkaban. There is less chance of the heirs to be killed if there are human guards."

"But, the _Dementors_ are under Ministry control. I was told that they would not interfere with the school in any way," Cornelius once again tried to defend his position. "Besides, Pettigrew killed a human to get away."

"That guard was there for disciplinary reasons, one being drinking on the job. I wanted to fire him, but you," Amelia jabbed her finger at Fudge's chest, "let him go there. You said something about a 'favor' for a friend." She snorted in disgust.

"Minister Fudge, you are friends with Lucius Malfoy, correct?" James asked, trying another tactic.

"Yes, what of it?"

"You do realize his only son goes to Hogwarts."

"Of course I know that," Fudge said, still not getting what Potter was trying to tell him.

"Imagine if you will, what your dear friend would think if his only son suffered from _Dementor_ exposure. Because even if you say you can control them from _Kissing_ anyone, you can't control the nightmares they will cause the children," James finished smugly.

"And knowing what you do about ours and Malfoy's history, do you think their dreams will be pleasant?" Frank added as he too sat back and watched the horror cross Fudge's face.

"Yes," Xeno said in a dreamy voice, "I can see the headlines now, ' **Boy-Who-Lived Plagued with Nightmares Thanks to the Ministry** '." He held his hands up in front of him as if he could see the words between them.

Fudge paled. That was something that could ruin him. He looked to James. and saw that he would let such a headline happen.

"Alright, I will recall the _Dementors_ and place guards at Hogwarts. Amelia, I leave it to you, you're in charge," the frightened man conceded. "Though I do have to ask that no parents be allowed," he added looking at Frank. "It would set a bad example."

"I have no issue with that," the Longbottom Auror stated with a nod.

"Well, now that that is settled, we must be off," James said a bit smugly as he rose and headed for the door. With nods of thanks the group got up and left the man to stew. They made their way back to the Potter manor and mirror called everyone with the results.

Amelia picked Kingsley Shacklebolt to head the team of twenty Aurors. She took his vow that he wouldn't tell anyone, especially Dumbledore, about the tools she was going to give him. The map was for him and his second in command, Patrick Savage, who of course also took a vow. They were suitably impressed with it. Every Auror on the team got a security mirror, which they were told that only Aurors had.

That done, the Mutineer families set up making maps for their homes. The rest of the summer was spent only at houses of the pro-security kids and only with all parents present. They were taking no chances. With so many friends it wasn't bad, though the boys did complain about the loss of their short-lived freedom.

Another argument broke out among the parents about letting the children go to Hogsmeade. This disagreement was drawn out for the rest of the summer, and finally it was decided that they would only go if at least one parent for each child was in the village on the weekend they went. The kids were not happy. Hogsmeade weekends were supposed to be a time away from homework and adult supervision. They did concede that they might need the parents there, but still… it was the principle of the matter.

 **Hphphp**

 _Yes I know that someone escaping in third year is now cliché, but he does need to be out for the plot._

 _Okay, so darrelldeam let me know that '_ A Walk through the City of London' _is an official self-guided tour that originated in 2006. But, I'm keeping it in here anyway, because it is something Neville would do for his birthday._


	28. The Hogsmeade Surprise

**Chapter 28 The Hogsmeade Surprise**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own.**

 _Some might think I am bashing Hermione. Once again I don't think I am putting her OOC so I don't look on it as bashing. But, if you don't like see her in a bad light then this chapter might not be for you._

 _The only other thing I have to say until the end is thanks for all the support._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _A short narration_**

So far third year was uneventful and the new classes were going great. The Mutineers were thankful they had gone to the non-magical school since it made Arithmancy easier. The studies they did on non-magical Runes were also helpful. Care of Magical Creatures was fun with the new professor. There was a rumor that Dumbledore tried to hire Hagrid on, but the Board squashed it stating that he never finished his schooling and could not be a professor. Only Parvati, Sally Anne and Lavender took Divinations and from what they described about their first few classes the rest of the group was glad they elected not to take that subject. The three girls liked the class because it was a good place to pick up gossip, no one paid attention to Trelawney.

The new CoMC professor, Prima Whitfoot, was a sturdy woman who brooked no nonsense in her class. She stood a good six feet tall and had a wide girth, though you really couldn't call her fat, just large. Muscles showed that she was not afraid to take on most of the creatures she taught. Her dark brown hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. Her matching gold-brown hawk-like eyes were sharp and the students soon learned they would not get away with anything in her class.

The book they used was 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' written by Newt Scamander. While the upper-years used 'The Monster Book of Monsters,' by Edwardus Lima.

The Ministry classifications of creatures were thus:

 **X: Boring**

 **XX: Harmless / may be domesticated**

 **XXX: Competent wizards should cope**

 **XXXX: Dangerous / requires specialist knowledge / skilled wizard may handle**

 **XXXXX: Known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate (or as Ron puts it, "Anything Hagrid likes")**

Boring creatures or class X, the students were told was for self-study. Anything over XXXX class was taught but never brought to the school, much to the relief of parents and students alike. Since this was a third year class, they were being taught about smaller animals, such as; the Augury, which is also known as the Irish Phoenix, the Bowtruckle, the Chizpurfle and other XX. Then fourth year would work on XXX class, and so on, with fifth and above learning primarily from the book.

To coincide with this, Remus use the first part of his class to teach them how to defend yourself from the creatures taught in CoMC. If they learn about the Bowtruckle that week, he would tell them how to make it move from its tree or the spell to use if it attacked in droves. Not that that happened often, but it was a wild animal that would and could protect its territory. He also taught them about beings that were not taught by Professor Whitfoot, such as the Boggart for third years and the Dementors for fifth years and so on.

Defensive spells were learned at the last part of the class, and they were assigned reading to catch up. This way the classes were evenly split to give everyone an all-round education. Remus, or Professor Lupin, was thankful that the Hufflepuff Soldier had helped in the year before, or this would be more of a nightmare.

McGonagall once again had to grade the Potter twins separately, though she was glad to see that they were graded fairly. She, however, didn't want anyone accusing them of receiving special grades from a family friend.

 ** _September 14, 1993 Hogwarts_**

Today the Mutineers were studying at their usual table. They were getting a lot of help from the upper years, and everyone was learning well. Harry and Gary were sitting together with their 'not-girlfriends, and a few boys. They were working on their Runes' homework when a noise at the entrance of the Hall broke their concentration. It was Ron and his small group. It looked like they were arguing with Hermione. Finally Ron and Seamus stomped away, and the three girls of the group went to the Gryffindor table in a huff.

"I really hate it when they get on Hermione like that," the Gryffindor twin said with a frown. He had tried to keep a casual friendship with Ron and Seamus since they shared a room. However, he never liked the way they treated the girls. Now that she hung out with Leanne and Faye, she didn't come to their table often.

"I still don't see why you like that girl," Harry said, looking at his brother.

"She's alright," Gary argued, still looking at the frazzled girl. "She's just a little bossy. I think it has to do with her childhood. I mean, from the things Parvati and Lavender say, she didn't have many friends growing up. I guess I just feel sorry for her." He shrugged and turned his attention back to his homework.

"I still don't see it," his brother disagreed with a shake of his head. "She's always getting on me about something, like I don't know what I'm doing and only she does."

"I know," he sighed as he once again looked at the girl in question. "I've tried to get her to back off, but she just calls me a bully and runs off. I don't understand why she can't take some constructive criticism."

"I know what you mean, Harry," Daphne stated as she slid in between them. "She's really been a bit… stuck-up isn't the word I'm looking for, but since she started studying with Weasley, she like me and Tracey less and is almost cold toward us."

"I'll talk to her," the younger twin said, only to have his brother shake his head.

"No, it's normal. She has best friends now, it only stands to reason that she'll back off from others," Harry said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Harry's right," the blonde Slytherin agreed as she winked at the boy in question. "She's not hateful, just bordering rude."

"Alright, but if she starts being meaner, let me know and I'll talk to her," Gary sighed and looked once more at Hermione, then back to his homework.

"Gary, I think we can handle it ourselves, but thanks," Daphne stated as she too got back to her assignment.

The rest of Study Hall was spent in mostly silence, they munched on biscuits and drank some juice and finished their coursework. The ghosts were loads of help to the teachers to keeping the kids in line. Soon enough it was time to go to practical study, which was much louder and they worked off all their sweets. A tired group of Mutineers went to get ready for dinner, then secret training and then hopefully to bed.

It was later that night right after the twins had their nightly mental talk that Sally came to visit Harry. It was his night for training anyway, so he was expecting her. They couldn't sneak away like they used to, because of the Aurors having the map. So they only went over wand movements and new spells. The secret Mutineer study groups were still a go, because they never studied outside of curfew.

After about an hour of training Sally brought up the subject of Peter. "Well," she said casually, like she found a rock in the garden and it was grey, "Peter has been spotted near the castle."

"What?!" Harry yelled as he face morphed into complete disbelieve that she wasn't as upset as he was.

"Peter was spotted in Hogsmeade," she reiterated slowly.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked baffled as to why she was so casual about it.

"And just what would you have done?" she snapped back, her still adorable face taking on a harder look.

"Well, we would have… we might… we could have done something," he said indignantly as he folded his arms defiantly.

"No, you really couldn't have," she said with a shake of her head, causing her pigtails to bob around her cute face. She was aging with the boys and now looked to be a thirteen year old, but she kept her hair short and in her favorite style.

"Why would you say that? Isn't this the type of stuff you're training us for?" he asked a bit hurt that she said that.

"Look, by the time the Aurors got to where they spotted him— the rat was gone. They've also chased off Rita a few times. Those two are just too small to capture. The second they hear someone coming their way, they hide and run," the personification of Death explained firmly.

"What about _Homorphus Charm_ or _Homenum Revelio_?" came the inquiry. Those two spells should have found the culprits. The first would revert them, and the second would be able to tell the Auror if they were hiding.

"Come on, Harry, you know the _Revelio_ spell only works if they are in the area, and the _Homorphus_ _Charm_ would only work if it hit them. If they've run then neither of those would work," Death chastised.

"Oh, well damn, still I don't like that Gary doesn't know that Peter is somewhere near. How is he supposed to be on his guard if he doesn't know he is in danger?" he asked very concerned about his twin.

"You should be on the lookout anyway. Both of you know that that man knows the castle as well as you do. Never let your guard down," she snapped, now worried that training might not be enough.

"We are," Harry snarled back, "but we can be more alert if we know what's going on."

"That's why I am telling you now."

"Oh, yeah, well that's better then. Why do you think Mum and Dad are keeping it quiet? I mean, I know they don't want us to worry, but…" Harry trailed off as he sat back on his headboard, calmer now, but still miffed at being left out.

"Don't you remember what I told you when you were younger? Parents like yours don't want their kids fighting if they can help it. And you have to admit that you and your brother would've charged off to face the traitor," she said, getting more comfortable at the foot of the bed. "Besides, I don't think your parents know either," she added.

"Yeah, but, we're not kids anymore," Harry stated as he started to get huffy again. "Why wouldn't they know? Don't you tell them everything?" he added.

"No, I spend most of my time with you and your brother, I let you know stuff and you tell them. And yes, you are only children. Just because you are more powerful than most adults doesn't mean you are not a kid. You are thirteen years old. Until you're seventeen and make your own way in the world you are still a kid." She glared at the teenage boy in front of her. She knew stuff like this was going to happen, that didn't mean she had to like it. Puberty for any gender sucked for adults to deal with. The I'm-older-now-know-better-than-you attitude was really grating.

"Whatever, I'm going to sleep," he said, knowing everyone else was asleep by now, so he would tell them in the morning. He glared at Sally one more time, put his crystal on and rolled over ignoring the deity on his bed.

Sally shook her head sadly and disappeared.

 ** _Earlier at the Manor_**

The Hunters, with their new members, gathered around the usual table in the smaller dining room. The new members consisted of; Mayur Patil, Aric Davies, Natalie Greengrass. They now made Team Three.

"Okay, now that everyone is settled, what do we know?" James asked from his spot at the head of the table.

"I have no new news," Augusta sighed as she picked up her cup of ever present tea.

"It's okay," Lily said, with a kind smile. "There's only so much you can get from gossip."

"I know, but now I feel useless," the elderly woman said. An out of character slump of her shoulders showed just how she felt.

"Why don't you join me and Albert," the redhead offered. "We're still looking up ways to keep the kids safe." Now that the hunting teams knew how to find and cleanse the _horcruxes_ , the research team needed something to do.

Augusta brightened and nodded her head, glad to be of help again. She straightened her shoulders and looked gratefully at the Potter mum.

"My Aurors have reported that both Rita and Peter were seen around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade this afternoon," Amelia stated out of the blue, and then she sat and waited for the storm to be over.

Just as predicted all the parents jumped to their feet and started shouting. Most of them wanted to know why they weren't informed. Sirius and Remus were about to run out the door, but a shake of James' head made them settle back down, though they both shot him a confused look.

After about five minutes of this, James used his wand to produce a large 'bang' and got everyone's attention. "Come on, settle down," he said as he retook his seat. "I know you're worried, but let the Aurors do their job, okay? Besides, didn't you hear her, they're not there now. Amelia, can you tell us what happened?"

The Head of the DMLE adjusted her monocle and looked sternly at each person there. "Shacklebolt saw Pettigrew on the map and immediately informed the rest of his team. They converged on the area, but there was nothing there, Kingsley thinks he fled. They did the standard spells to find an _Animagus_ , but he was gone," came the report. She then took a drink of water and continued, "It was Savage's team that spotted Rita. She was almost caught, but she flew off. We now know she's some type of insect." She was just as frustrated as the rest of them, but she had faith in her Aurors.

"That rat coward will probably stay away from the castle now. Good thing he doesn't know about the new maps," Sirius said smugly.

"Do we tell the children?" Natalie Greengrass asked, worried for her daughters, and yet unsure as to whether or not to give them this type of information.

"I'm pretty sure they've already been informed. The new ghosts are adamant that everyone involved needs every scrap of information in order to protect themselves. Since we don't control them, there's little we can do to stop them from passing things on," James explained. He too was worried about the kids knowing things, since he felt should be handled by adults. He and Lily had argued with Sally all summer about it, but what could you do against a deity?

"I'm not sure I like that," Mayur said with a worried brow.

"There is little we can do. Not even Dumbledore can exorcise them. That and I like that they are spies for us," Lily said. She wasn't as concerned about the ghosts as she was about her reckless sons.

"Yes, well, if it wasn't for the Hufflepuff Soldier, I would be having a harder time this year teaching your children," Remus added, leading the topic to a good point of having the spirits in the castle.

There were nods around the table, they had all been told the stories of the Soldier over the summer and were thankful to the man… err ghost.

"How goes the library and kiosk?" James asked Sirius, moving on from the beaten subject.

The Black Lord sat up straighter. "Now there is good news. The library is almost done. It should be open by the time the kids go to their first Hogsmeade weekend, which this year falls on Halloween."

"That is good news, with us there, we can watch the kids," Mr. Patil stated, and then frowned. "Will there be added security?" he asked, thinking over the news they just got.

"Yeah, there'll be a map in the back room that volunteers can watch. Xeno is going to publish the opening, and the kiosk is going to be right inside the library. We also decided to sell the Quibbler there and the store in Diagon Alley. Now that the magazine has started publishing political news, we think more people will read it. Oh, he is still reporting on unusual animals, but they are in the back pages," the dogman said enthusiastically, he was excited. Between this new kiosk and the store in Diagon Alley, plus the money they made off the goblins, they would be set financially if there was a war, without having to deplete family funds. And although this group's function was to make sure there wasn't one, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"That is wonderful, now maybe more people will learn," Natalie enthused with a clapping of her hands. With computers in Hogsmeade, hopefully even more pure-blood families could be swayed to more open thinking.

"Yes, it is good news. Now how goes the hunt for the horcruxes?" James said, guiding the meeting along. It was getting late and he wanted it to end soon.

"Team Two has nothing new to add," said a disgruntled Wayne.

"Team One has nothing," Sirius added with a pout.

"Team Three hasn't started yet," Mayur said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

Sirius barked with laughter, causing the rest of the group to relax a little.

"Amelia, maybe you can get Shacklebolt or Savage to talk to the Grey Lady," Remus suggested, tapping his chin in thought. "According to Augusta, Tom was seen talking to her and the Slytherin Spirit. So we know she's hiding something. I've tried to talk to her, but she just floats away. However, I've got a good thing going with the Hufflepuff Soldier, so I'll ask him to chat with her. Or he can talk to the Bloody Baron. Those two are connected somehow," he added.

The Potters hoped he did more good than Sally did. They had asked her to talk to the Ravenclaw Ghost, but the shy spirit was so frightened that she just shimmered away whenever Death approached. They talked to Harry, but he didn't have any better luck.

"We can do that. I also want some detector crystals to go to them. If Riddle put the curse on the DADA, then it is possible he hid a _horcrux_ in the castle. They can search when the kids are asleep," Amelia said, nodding her head in agreement. She'd get on the mirror when she got home and talk to her team.

"Hey Mayur, can you stay behind for a minute, the rest of you go home. We'll meet again in a week," James said, standing up and leading everyone to the Floo Room.

Mayur did stay behind. "What can I do for you?" he asked, taking a seat in the Game Room. He always liked it in here.

"I was just wondering if the spell you spoke of could get rid of a _horcrux_ on a living being. We have reason to believe that Riddle made a human a _horcrux_ by accident. We can't tell you who, we're under a vow, but if your spell can rid this person of it without putting them into a coma, like the powder, we might be able to convince the person we made the vow to, to let us bring you in," James said quickly, not wanting the man to think they were withholding vital information again.

"No, I'm sorry, but the spell would be harmful to a person. It is made to rip the soul out of the item. There is no guarantee that it would not rip the person's soul out and leave the horcrux behind," Mayur said with a sad shake of his head.

The Potter adults deflated, though Sally had told them that Harry might need the _horcrux_ to save his life, they were still hopeful that they could remove it without the powder. Having Dark magic under ones' skin could not be healthy was their reason. They didn't know it was cleanse almost pure.

"Well, thanks anyway," the male Potter said, standing and shaking the man's hand. Lily then accompanied him to the Floo room and said her own farewell. She then joined James and the two settled in front of the telly and didn't think about anything important for a few hours, just mindless shows to relieve some of their tension.

 ** _October 31, 1993 Hogwarts_**

The chatter in the Great Hall this morning was loud. It was the first Hogsmeade weekend for the third year Mutineers and everyone was excited. The second year members of the gang weren't happy. Ginny, Astoria and Spencer were moping, while Luna was just sitting confident that her friends would bring her back something nice. She hummed a little tune under her breath and just waited. The four younger members were sitting at the Ravenclaw table. As the meal drew to an end and it was getting closer to the time the upper years to depart for Hogsmeade the three kids got more and more glum.

"Cheer up guys. We'll make sure to bring you back something. What would you like?" Harry asked the three gloomy kids.

"I was wondering if you could take my earrings to Dervish & Banges to see if they can fix them. The Nargles have started to populate in the dorm, and I want to make sure they stay away from my head," Luna asked as she started to take off her radish earrings.

"Ummm, Luna, I don't think they do jewelry. I think they only do gizmos and tools and such," Harry said cautiously, he didn't want to offend the girl. He would have to keep an eye on the bullies in his House, because, even though he had never seen a Nargle, she was rarely wrong about someone's head being muddled. But, he truly doubted that the earrings actually did anything.

"Ohhhh, well then can you see if the shop has any instruments to help keep one's head clear?" Luna said, putting her earrings back on.

"Anything for you, little Luna," Harry said with a smile. He was sure they didn't have anything like that, but he would buy something that this quirky girl would like. "Now, what would you three like?" He turned to the others.

"The twins said they would pick me up some candy, so I'm good. I just want to go with you guys," Ginny said with a full on pout, lips sticking out, arms crossed and watery eyes.

"I know, Ginny, but you can go next year, yeah," Harry said, patting her arm.

"Daphne said she'd pick me up some new quills," Astoria piped up, and although she was unhappy that she wasn't going at least she had a sister that would buy her things.

"I don't have any siblings, so you can get me some Blood Lollies," Spenser said, perking up a little.

"Ewww," said the two depressed girls with wrinkles of their noses. It was kind of cute the way they did that together.

"Yeah I can do that," Harry said. Then put up his hand to stop the younger boy from handing him money. "I'll get this one. You can give me money on the next weekend, okay?"

Spenser just shrugged and put his coins away. "Thanks, Harry."

Breakfast came to a close, and all the third years gathered in the Entrance Hall. They would walk down as one big group, and split up when they got to the village. Everyone was dressing in their warmest clothes, it was coming to the end of autumn in Scotland and it was cold. Woolen pants, jumpers, hats, cloaks or coats, scarves, mittens and boots were mandatory wear for most of the students. Although some of the girls braved the weather in long thick woolen skirts.

After a head count they all went to the gate. Mr. Filch was there checking permission slips. He face was in its usual snarl as he looked over each piece of paper handed to him. Harry wondered how a squib would be able to tell if it was forged or not, then he brushed it off as it being unimportant.

The walk to the village was long and cold. You had to go down the same road the carriages came up at the beginning of the year. On the walk down you went by the 'Shrieking Shack', an old looking house that was three stories high with boarded windows and doors. The yard was overrun with thorny bushes and waist high grass. It was said to be the most haunted place in Europe.

"I've always wondered why the villagers are afraid of a haunted house," Padma said as she looked at the run down house in question. "They all attended Hogwarts, which has ghosts. So they know that spirits can't harm them. I never understood that."

"Don't know," Gary answered her with a shrug. "Maybe it is the shrieking that gets them. The house is supposed to sound like people are being murdered, but whenever it is investigated there's nothing there. We know why that is, but it's not like we can tell them."

All the Mutineers grew up with the stories of the Marauders, so they all knew about Remus' affliction. The staff and the Board knew, but the general population did not. This year instead of going home like planned, he ran deep in the Forbidden Forest, far away from the school with Padfoot and Prongs. That way they kept an eye and nose out for Pettigrew.

"Besides, the poltergeist can harm someone if it is angry enough. Perhaps they think it's one of those," Harry offered.

"I know that, but there are spells to counter that," Padma said pointedly. "I was just commenting on how stupid it was to be scared of ghosts." She then turned to her twin and talked about what shops they would visit.

The Potter twins shared a look and then shrugged. Each boy then turned to the girl at their side, Gary's girl being Susan. "Where are you going to visit first?" he asked.

"I was thinking of going to Gladrags to see if I can get a new winter cloak. This one is getting too short and Auntie gave me enough money to get a new one. Do you want to come with?" she asked hopefully as she sidled up closer to him.

Just because Auntie said she couldn't date, didn't mean she couldn't hang out with her crush. She would have snuck around, but now that the Aurors were there and they were armed with the maps, she wasn't taking any chances. She did curse the fact that she missed out on some quality kissing time. Oh, well there was always next year. Hopefully the rat would be caught, and the teens could be teens.

"Yeah, I can go with you. I need some new gloves. Hermione's cat chewed a hole in my left one." He lifted his hand to show the hole that was between the thumb and forefinger.

"Great," she squealed and then grabbed his hand. Parvati and Lavender giggled at Gary's cluelessness, but they were happy to see Susan got to spend some time with him.

"Parvati says that cat is a menace and that Granger won't corral it in anyway. 'He is a cat,' she says. 'That's what cats do'. Honestly people should be more respectful of other people's stuff. I understand that cats chew up stuff, but how would she feel if I brought a cat that liked to gnaw on books and lent it to Lavender and all her precious books were ruined?" Padma asked with a huff, her sister nodding that she indeed had said that.

"I know, I tried to tell her that, but she is one stubborn girl," Gary said with a shake of his head. That was one conversation he never wanted to have again.

The Patil twins snarled at the answer, but conceded that the Gryffindor bookworm was hardheaded. Susan just nodded her head, swayed their linked hands between them, and they talked about the other shops they might visit.

Harry was talking to Daphne about going to Honeydukes to get the second years some candy to cheer them up. She thought it was a good idea, along with the quills she was getting for Astoria. They would save Luna's gift for last.

There was no question that these two would stick together, since they were a well-known non-couple. They were hardly ever apart outside of classes and nighttime. And they made sure to sit together in the lessons they shared. Study Hall found them with their head only inches apart as they pondered over homework. No there was no question they would not stray far apart on another 'not-date'.

Once the gang rounded the bend to where they could see the village, everyone stopped and stared in silent awe. Hogsmeade was a small, yet quaint village. There were shops lining High Street and cottages laid behind them. The shops much like the ones in Diagon Alley looked like they just stepped out of the Victorian age. They stood about two stories tall and were wood paneled, slatted roofs and had large display windows. The cottages were tiny with thatched roofs. It was all very picturesque.

The only building that was slightly out of place was a three story white building with plain windows and no chimney. On the front of that building were the words 'Hogsmeade Library'. It did look like an effort was made to blend it with the village, in that the white was wooden paneling and the roof was slatted.

The Mutineers hadn't been told about the library, so this came as a surprise to all of them. A lot of the parents were lining the steps with big smiles on their faces. They were waving to the awestruck children. Villagers that didn't work in the shops were crowded around the front, watching to see how this new attraction would go over with the kids, after all this was supposed to be a study free time for them. Little did they know that this library was more for their use.

The whole student body moved forward slowly, and came to a stop at the bottom of steps. They all looked on at the wonder that the adults had created. It was Hermione was the first to try going up the library stairs. She was drug her two female friends behind her, but had to stop when Mr. Patil held up his hand gently and shook his head. That broke the students out of their stupor, and they all started babbling about what was going on, only to quiet down when Mr. Lovegood held up his hands.

"Welcome, students and villagers, to the opening of the Hogsmeade Library," Xeno said from his place at the top of the stairs with his spell amplified voice. "We wanted to wait until the first student weekend to show you the wonders this facility holds. Most of you have seen the magic null rooms in many of your friends' houses. This library has one too. It holds ten computers so that you may enjoy the wonders of the world. Worry not, parents, each computer is child friendly," he said with a chuckle.

"This library also has books that are not sold in the shops. You may check them out for the period of one visiting weekend to the next," Sirius said took over with a huge smile. "We have set it up in age appropriate sections. Age lines and spells are on each book and section, so don't try to read something your parents won't let you." He mock glared at the Weasley twins, who of course had mischievous twinkles in their eyes. A large groan was heard from the more studious of the students.

"And a quick bit of information," Lily said with a harder look at the older students. "There isn't a… risqué section, so don't look for one." That got a few disappointed looks. "The computers have also been protected, so that venue is closed as well."

"The spells on the books make it so you can't even have older kids get them for you," Mayur took up the explanation. "If you try and read them there will be nothing there. Remember, all you older kids that your name was the last one it was lent out to. So, if the book gets damaged you will have to pay the fines and replace the book. There is a pamphlet explaining all the rules for borrowing the books." He held up a glossy folded up piece of paper, to show which one he meant.

"Now that explanations are over, welcome to the new Hogsmeade Library," Xeno said as he opened the double doors at the front of the building with a flourish. "Oh, and if you are in need of crystals and mirrors, there is a kiosk in the front of the library for your needs."

The adults had decided to put the stand inside, since there were no other booths in Hogsmeade and they didn't want to distract from the image the village liked to maintain. There was a silencing bubble in a five feet diameter around the stall, so as to not disrupt the patrons of the library.

Some students went in the library to check it out. Most went about the other shops, because who wanted to study on a Hogsmeade weekend? Some of the Mutineers went to talk to their parents.

"So," Harry started with a lifting of his eyebrows as he stood in front of the adults, "this is an impressive achievement. Any reason you didn't tell us?"

"We wanted to surprise you," Lily offered with an innocent smile. "We knew you guys don't need to go here, but we didn't want word to get out about it before others could learn about it. This is mostly for the village and the upper-years that aren't in your group."

"Okay, I guess that's alright," Gary said, not really bothered with the fact that they were left out. "We'll just be going now. You're not going to follow us are you?" he asked with a narrowed eyed glare.

"No, we'll just be hanging around the shops and the pubs, making sure no one is threatening you kids," James answered with a chuckle.

"Good," came a chorus of young voices. And the children turned from the library to do their shopping, breaking off into groups of four or five.

"I want to go and see what the library looks like after the crowd thins," Padma said as she, her fellow Ravenclaws and Daphne went to Scrivenshaft's. This was a small shop, which only carried quills, sharpening tools and parchment.

"We can do that," Terry said as he looked at a never-out quill.

"I want to check out the kiosk. I heard that Luna made a new crystal and I want to listen to it," Mandy said, thinking of the mood crystal the little blond told her would help her build a mind-palace.

"Really? I thought they said she was too young for that," Harry stated, wondering how he could have possibly missed that.

"They put a spell on her voice to make it sound older," Mandy explained, bouncing with excitement. "That's what my mum said anyway. They did it this summer, while you guys were… well, not hiding… but keeping yourselves to mostly boys' houses." She picked up some parchment and quills and headed to the cashier.

Harry just shrugged and got some new quill knives for himself and Gary. And soon the group left and headed to Honeydukes. As they entered the candy shop Harry looked around in awe at all the candy.

There were rows, shelves and bins of all sorts of candies. Stairs on either side led to more candy on the second floor. They had never seen so many sweets in one place there were things like; Acid Pops, Bat's Blood Soup, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Blood-flavoured lollipops, Cauldron Cakes, Charm Choc, Chocoballs, Chocolate Cauldrons, Chocolate Frogs, Chocolate Skeletons, Chocolate Wands, Choco-Loco and much, much more. Candy as far as the eye could see. The kids were in heaven. Harry paid special attention to the chocolate that Honeydukes was famous for.

They spent an hour just going over their choices. Harry did remember to get Spencer his Blood Lollies and picked Chocolate Frogs for the girls. One can never have too much chocolate.

The group went to the Three Broomsticks to get some lunch and butterbeer. They sat at a simple wooden table, with plain wooden chairs to complement, in the back of the pub and just enjoyed the cozy atmosphere.

"This is great," Daphne said as she leaned against Harry's arm in the crowded room.

"I agree," the dark-haired wizard said, and then he took the chance and put his arm around her shoulders.

She sighed and snuggled into his embrace, and looked into each other's eyes and knew it was time to be a couple. With a quick peck on the lips, they turned their attention back to the people with them, who were all grinning like fools.

"It's about time," Padma stated, sending the bit of gossip to her sister mentally and winching at the squeal that sounded in her head. All of Hogwarts would know about this before dinner.

"Whatever," stated the now couple together and then smiled.

Gary and his group soon joined them. He lifted an eyebrow at his twin, who just grinned back. Susan was a bit jealous and was going to cuddle with her not-date, but there were Aurors in the building, so she just sighed and sat as close to him as she could get away with, without being reported.

The rest of the lunch, of Sheppard's pie, chips and butterbeer, was peaceful. As they sat and let their food settle, they watched and listened to the customers wonder about the library. Most seemed happy that it was there, this was a wizard village after all and they seldom saw new things. There, of course, were those that said nothing good could come of something so Muggle.

Harry and his troop soon left the comfy atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks, splitting off from Gary's bunch, and went to the library. Inside the doors you could see rows and rows of books. There were signs above each row that told what that particular aisle held, and how old you had to be to enter them. It seemed to be set up so younger year books were on the first floor and progress each floor up. There was a large counter in the front manned by a strict looking older lady. There was a door off to the side of the counter that said 'Adults Only'. Harry went up to Sirius to ask about it.

"Padfoot, what's up with that door?" he asked as he pointed to the door in question.

"That is mostly Grey books, curses, counter-curses and such. I got a lot of the parents to donate copies from their personal libraries. What they couldn't donate, we bought. Those books can't leave the room. It's a lot like the restricted section of the Hogwarts' library. We kept it by the checkout so that it can be watched at all times," the dark-haired man explained. "Why, what did you think it was for?" he asked raising an eyebrow and looking sternly at the oldest Potter twin.

"Ewww, not that, get your mind out of the gutter," Harry said as he pushed his dad's best friend away. He kept his hand in Daphne's as they followed the jokester, who was looking at the joined hands with waggling eyebrows, but he was only going to tease the young man when he was without female company.

"Do we need to have The Talk?" the older man asked. ' _Okay, just a bit of ribbing_ ,' he thought, looking that the mortified face of the oldest twin, and laughing.

"No! Just no, Dad already scarred me and Gary, thank you very much." He could hear his friends snickering at him, so he turned and glared, making them laugh harder. "It's not funny." He pouted, almost stomping his foot. Still, he held on to his girlfriend, who was also giggling at his plight, though she did throw a look at Sirius that made him hold up his hands in surrender.

"Come on, kiddos, let me show you the computer room," Sirius said as he ruffled Harry's always messy hair. He jerked his head to the archway in the back of the room and led them there.

Inside the archway were two rows of five cubicles each with a state of the art computer. The chairs were regular rolling chairs and the floor was tile. There was a telly in the corner that seemed to be broadcasting a non-magical news station. The volume was lowered as to not interfere with those using the computers, but there were subtitles.

Hermione was in the furthest cubicle, and was showing her friends the wonders of the non-magical world. Faye and Leanne already knew all this from their time with the Mutineers, but the bushy-haired wasn't listening as she went excitedly on and on about the things she thought they should know. Granted these two girls spent most of their time on the Potter computers looking up fashion, but still they did do their studies on the machines. Ron and Seamus were nowhere in sight.

"So when you said they were age appropriate, what did you mean?" Terry asked as he sat at the only available computer.

"There is a blocking program so adult stuff can't be shown unless you get the password from the librarian. And you need to prove you're of age. Even then you can't view anything overly graphic," Sirius explained and showed them what he meant by googling the word sex. A screen pulled up letting them know that this search was invalid and locked the computer.

"Isn't that going to take time to unlock?" Harry asked impressed. He wondered if his parents set up something similar at home.

"Nay, we've got a key disk for it. I just wanted to show we're not running a peep shop. We worked hard to get these programs installed, what with all you hormonal kids running around. Don't want the parents or professors getting into a tizzy over anything." Sirius then guided the kids out of the room, let the librarian know he locked computer nine. "Mandy, try and go down that aisle," he suggested to the dark haired Ravenclaw girl.

"I am not sure I trust you," she said, giving him the stink eye.

"Don't worry I didn't set it up," he said as he barked in laughter.

"Alright," she said, still cautious but she attempted to go down the aisle that was designated to fourteen and older. She got to the first book and was about to read the title when she was gently levitated back out. She landed on her bum and glared at the laughing kids. Padma giggled, but at least she helped her friend up and asked if she was okay. "Yeah, just embarrassed," she said, wiping the nonexistent dust off her pants.

"So what did Dumbledore have to say about this? I can't imagine he was happy about it," Daphne asked, waving her hand to indicate the whole building.

"Oh, you'd be right about that. He tried to stop us by going to the Board, but we showed them all the precautions we were taking and they backed us. Besides, the only thing they could do is ban you kids from coming if they felt it wasn't set up right. They really don't have any say about the shops in the village," their adult guide said, chuckling when he remembered the look on the Headmaster's face that he couldn't stop them.

"This is a brilliant set up, but we still have some shopping to do," Harry said, gently tugging on Daphne's hand and pulling her to the front of the library.

"You kids take care and be careful, yeah?" Sirius called to them as they wandered away.

"Not a problem, Padfoot, we will," Harry answered back with a wave over his shoulder.

They went to the booth in the front and got the new crystal, plus a few extra for the second years, and exited the library. They made their way to Dervish & Banges to find something for Luna. This shop was noisy as gizmos and clocks were making wheezing and ticking noises. All manner of things were moving and zooming around.

The kids looked around for about a half an hour until they came upon a watch that showed your mood. The face had words of different colors and there was only one arm, shaped like a real arm with a hand at the end. At the end of the hand one finger pointed out what mood you were in. Terry tried it on and the hand moved to the pale green word of relaxed. Harry took a turn and the hand moved to the dark grey of cautious. They felt this was the perfect gift for Luna, if only because there was a blue word that said muddled.

It was a happy group of students, of all ages, that returned to the castle that evening. Luna loved her new watch, and Ginny, Astoria and Spencer were thankful for the candy and crystal.

Too bad it wasn't as good of a day for James and Lily. After the students went back to school, Pearl Jackson had spotted Pettigrew in the village. It was her turn to man the map and she immediately call the alert to the parents and the Aurors. The Potter adults and the Aurors quickly set out to capture him as the rest of the adults fanned out to make sure he didn't get away. They spotted a rat at the end of an alley between Dervish & Banges and Dominic Maestro's.

James recognized it as Wormtail and he shouted, "Come back, you coward!" as he shot spell after spell at the quickly moving rodent. Each was a narrow miss, it was hard to shoot and run perfectly. They got closer and the Aurors were casting wide area stunning spells, but they were limited because of the pedestrians.

The tricky rodent would use all the poles, dustbins, and store signs to hide from the spells as he got nearer to where he wanted to go. As the curses rained down on him, Peter dove behind a trash bin and into the hole in the wall at the end of the alley. Behind this wall was an open field, they would never find a single rat in field like that.

They blasted the wall and ran through, wands at the ready.

James tried to summon the traitor, but nothing came. He must have hid in an animal's tunnel. "Dammit!" the male Potter shouted, throwing whatever he could get his hands on into the field, and kicking mounds of dirt as if it would reveal where the rat went.

Lily did the revealing spell but Peter was long gone. "Come on, James, let's go back to the library and see if he doubled back, or is on his way to Hogwarts," she said, grabbing her angry husband's arm and led him away.

The map showed that Peter escaped once again, but they weren't letting their guard down. Now that he had been spotted twice they knew he was after the twins.

 **Hphphp**

 _Just a quick note to say that I know Halloween wasn't on Saturday that year, but everything happens to the Potters on that day, so I took out my artistic license and changed it._

 _I also wanted to jump in here and stop anyone from saying that cats don't chew things, to which I received a pm stating such. My old cat, bless her little heart, chewed up her scratching post and any flip-flop that entered the house. Plus, I've had other cats that put many holes in my laundry… so, yeah they do._


	29. Stubborn Girls

**Chapter 29 Stubborn Girls**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own.**

 ** _Hermione and Ron are not seen in a good light. It is mildly done, no great feat of yelling or anything like that. No evil plans or plots. Just not in a good light. Once again, I don't feel I'm bashing, but take it as you will._**

 _This chapter is a bit rushed; there is a lot of time skipping. I did explain to one reviewer that that is mostly because I am combining chapters to get this out before I lose internet. I am going over the scenes and adding to them until my eyes get googly, then I step a back and repeat the next day. So there are bound to be some mistakes. Sorry._

 _Thanks for all of your support._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _Time skip with a short narration_**

The library was a huge success; everyone in the village loved it. Well, not everyone, there were some diehard traditionalist that didn't like the newfangled things cluttering up Hogsmeade, but they were the minority. There were plenty of adults keeping the place busy. Non-magical fiction flew off the shelves, and a new clothing store opened to sell what they found on the internet. The kids loved it. They really disliked wizarding clothing, and felt that jeans and t-shirts were far more comfortable, though jumpers were in season.

The elective classes were paying off, in that the teenagers were learning things that Lily and Remus hadn't taught them. Now they were all getting closer to what they wanted to do when they got older. Harry was seriously thinking about independent curse breaking, like Indiana Jones, while Gary was headed to being the first magical private eye. Both learned the value of spies and making friends with 'lesser beings'.

Winter hit and the football games were called off because of the snow, but that didn't stop the kids from going out and starting snowball wars. The Mutineers would inevitably team up against other groups of students. They didn't always win, but they had a great time trying.

Hermione looked bleaker as the holidays came closer. Gary tried to find out if she was sleeping, but she would sniff and say 'I don't know what you're talking about,' and then stomp away. Ron and Seamus were still mean to the girls, and Faye and Leanne weren't much nicer to their bookworm friend when she got snappy. Gary told Parvati and Lavender that he thought she needed someone to talk to, and they tried, but all she seemed to do was study. So they all sighed and waited for her to crack.

The Headmaster called Gary to his office a week before break and tried to get him to say in Hogwarts for Christmas, citing that is was safer there. Gary replied that he couldn't put his family on hold just because Pettigrew might be out to get him. The boy then threatened, nicely, to tell the Board that the Headmaster was playing favorites, which after the last two years would be bad. The old man sighed in defeat and wished him a happy holiday.

 ** _December 17, 1993 Hogwarts_**

The months flew by in a flurry of watching the map, games, studying, training, classes and homework. It was a tired bunch of children that were more than ready to go home and rest. It was the day before the train, and they were all sitting in the Great Hall, which was decorated in the usual Christmas frills.

There were twelve towering Christmas trees, festoons of holly, mistletoe, and other Christmas-oriented accents. Plus, real live fairies, which flew around the trees. A warm, dry snow fell from the Enchanted Ceiling. Elsewhere in the castle, everlasting icicles were applied to the banisters of the Grand Staircase and the suits of armor were charmed to sing carols. All and all it was very festive.

Gary was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Neville and Dean. They were talking about the Boxing Day party being held this year by the Longbottoms. Lavender and Parvati were on the other side of the table talking about girl things. Everyone was excited to be going home tomorrow and hopefully relaxing from the stress of having to keep on the lookout for Pettigrew.

They trusted the Aurors that were guarding the castle, but there were only six of them and they could only be stretched so far. So the Mutineers had been manning the maps and using the ghosts to report anything they had seen. So far that rat had shown up twice, but he kept disappearing out the tunnels, and then Forest, or the caves around Hogsmeade, which were not on the maps. They only knew that that was the direction he went. The Aurors searched the caves and came up with nothing. This man was very good hiding and escaping.

The biggest downfall of the maps was that if there were more than ten people in one given area then all the names crowded together and it was hard to pick out one individual. Another glitch was that you could only look at part of the map at a time. So if you were looking at the Forbidden Forest, then you couldn't watch the front doors or the secret tunnels. These were the reasons the students were helping, though the color coding helped a lot.

Ron and his group came into the Hall, and sat a little bit away from the other third years, distracting Gary from his thoughts. He glanced over at the group and noted that Hermione looked horrible; her hair was frizzier than ever, there were dark rings under her very tired looking eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept in months. Her book bag was packed as full as it could be, almost to the point of the seams ripping. Gary made a note to send her one of the expandable ones, either anonymously or have one of her dorm mates give it to her.

"Lavender," he said quietly, getting the girl's attention, "Still no luck getting her to sleep?"

The blonde girl huffed in frustration. "No, and she won't talk to us. We can't even get anything from Faye and Leanne. When we ask we're told 'everything is okay', even though you can tell just by looking at her, it's not." She sent a small glare at the girls in question.

"All I know is that she is studying all the time, even at night. We tried to get her to sleep. We even complained about the lights, but she just went into the common room. That and that ungrateful group use her for homework _help_ ," Parvati scoffed, sharing a scathing look to the bushy-haired girl's _friends_. "More like homework _doing_. I'll never understand why such a smart girl puts up with them." She then wrinkled her nose at the appalling manner the boys were exhibiting.

"No matter how much we try, she just brushes us off as unimportant," Lavender said softly. "We did finally get her cat to behave. It was Padma who asked Flitwick about it. He showed her, then she showed us, a spell that would pop up a spray bottle and squirt water on the cat anytime it starts misbehaving, so that's one less thing for her to stress over, not that she's thankful."

"Can you to teach me for the next time Crookshanks gets in our dorm?" Gary asked as he gave each girl a grateful smile. "Don't worry, I know how important you two are. If it weren't for you, Harry and I would've been blamed for that whole Chamber of Secrets thing last year. So don't let them get you down." He winked at them, and then turned his attention back to his two male roommates.

 **Hphphp**

Harry was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, enjoying his meal of steamed fish, vegetables and rice. He was glad that there were healthier choices now than there had been in his first year. He wasn't sure who talked to the Board about better meals, but he was just happy someone did.

Terry and Mandy were discussing what they might get for Christmas. Padma was talking with Luna about the Longbottom's ball and what she and Parvati would be wearing. The Patils didn't celebrate Christmas, but they enjoyed going to the parties held during that season. The Mutineers, thanks to their childhood, understood this and didn't try and get them to celebrate. Although, they did give them gifts on Boxing Day, so the female twins had everything the other members of the group had. Their parents understood and allowed their girls these gifts.

"Hey, Spencer, is your family going to the Longbottom ball?" he asked just before pudding popped up.

"Yeah, we're real excited about it. Mum said that it has been a rough year for the parents, so she's happy that we get to kick back for a day," the younger boy said with a bobbing of his head. His mum had been manning the map in Hogsmeade. Even on the days the kids weren't there. The parents were determined to get the escaped convict.

Harry nodded his head in understanding. His parents looked like they had had little sleep in the past few months as well. He knew from his nightly talks with them that the hunting teams were at a standstill. Sally could only tell him that Voldemort was not seen by anyone passing over. So they had no idea if Peter had found his master or not. Everyone was getting frustrated with the lack of progress.

The meal ended with Dumbledore's usual cheery Christmas message, though he did add a warning to keep alert. Gary and Harry met up in the Entrance Hall, so they could have a face to face talk. Mental talking was all well and good, but sometimes it was nice just to see someone's face and body language.

"I'm worried about Hermione. She looks terrible and I think she's going to crash soon," Gary said as they leaned against the wall just inside the large doors. They watched as Ron and Hermione passed by, arguing as usual.

Harry looked at the girl in question, noted how frazzled she looked and nodded his head in agreement. "Just keep a watch," he advised. "Hopefully, you'll know when to step in. You might have to get on Ron's and Seamus' bad side, but if you think she is worthy of friendship..." he trailed, still not seeing what his brother saw in her. "Do you have any idea what's going on with her?" he asked.

"Only that she is doing more studying than three elective classes warrant," was the reply.

"Three? Gary, she's taking all five," Harry corrected in a slightly louder voice.

"How do you know that?" the younger twin looked at his brother with a confused tilt of his head.

"Well the Gryffindor Gossips let us know that she's Divination, but she is in our Arithmancy class at the same time. One of my Housemates told me that she has been seen leaving Muggle Studies when you guys are in Runes," he explained with a sad shake of his head.

Gary shook his head as well. "Well, that at least explains why she's so stressed out. She must be using a time turner or something. I wonder how they got that past the Board. Those things are dangerous, and to give it to a thirteen year old girl, what are they thinking?" he silently berated himself for not noticing sooner, but for all he worried about the girl, he did have a full schedule.

"Don't know, but if you're right she's not using it to sleep, so, yeah, she'll be hitting bottom soon, unless she gets extra rest during the holidays. Knowing what little I know about her though, she'll spend most of her time doing homework and not relaxing."

"Yeah," Gary said knowingly, he figured that as well. He then he pushed himself off the wall and faced his twin. "I'm going to get moving. I told Lavender and Parvati that I was going to help them with CoMC homework. So, I'll catch you later."

"Yeah, for some reason Padma and Luna think I need consulting on my dress robes, so I've got to go as well," Harry said as he straightened and gave his brother a clap on the shoulder. "Good luck with Hermione. Still don't know what you see in her, but I trust your judgement."

The two parted and went to their dorms, had their talk with their dorm mates and made sure they were packed for the next day.

 ** _Meanwhile at the Manor_**

All the parents were gathered once again at the Potter Manor, they were in one of the larger dining rooms. They were all chattering about the kids coming home for the holidays and of course the Longbottom ball.

"Alright everyone, settle down," Lily said loudly as she stood by the head of the table. "I'm glad you all could make it, what with Christmas right around the corner. We only have a few things to discuss and then we'll let you get back to your preparations." She looked tired, her normal bouncy hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, and her face was devoid of any makeup charms. The bags under her eyes were pronounced, making the dullness of the normally bright green eyes more noticeable.

The group calmed down and gave their attention to the Potters, hoping it wasn't bad news. Though with the way this year was going so far, it probably was.

"We have a favor to ask. We need all of you to look in your Family Grimoires and see if you can find a spell that will transfer a _horcrux_ to another object," James said with a bleak look on his face. Sirius, Frank and himself had already combed through theirs and found nothing —only ways to destroy the items. Mayur's spell was the only thing that came close and they did study it, but like the man said, it pulls the soul directly from the object, so they couldn't use it on Harry. They were hoping to not have to use the powder on their eldest son. Even though it wouldn't kill him, it would put him into a coma and they wanted to prevent that.

"Why?" Aric asked. He had no problem doing what they requested, but Family Spells were usually kept in the… well, family. So they better have a really good reason for asking.

"We have reason to believe that Riddle made a human _horcrux_. If we use the powder then we'd have to explain why that person was in a coma. We can't tell you who it is, we're under a vow," James answered, slumping in his seat and idly playing with his cup. It had been a hard couple of months with the opening of the library, watching for Peter, hunting the _horcruxes,_ looking for spells, and worrying over their headstrong boys —he and Lily were exhausted.

"I don't understand. Why can't we just put the person into a coma?" Rachelle asked, many of the parents nodding with her.

"I can't tell you without breaking my vow. Needless to say, if this person goes into a coma it would draw too much attention to them. That's all I can tell you," James sighed as he ran his hand down his haggard face, which took on an earnest expression as he tried to convey that it really was all he could impart.

"Alright, James, we can see it is hurting you. We will do our best," Mayur said, looking around the table and seeing that most of the parents agreed, even if they didn't understand.

"Thank you," Lily said sincerely, making her face brightened with hope.

Remus spoke and got everyone's attention. "On to some better news, well sort of. I have talked to the Hufflepuff Soldier and he had talked to the Bloody Baron. He informed me that the Baron died going after Helena Ravenclaw when she fled the castle. It seems that Helena at some point after graduating stole her mother's diadem and ran away to Albania. When her mother became fatally ill she had hoped to see her daughter one last time, so she sent the Bloody Baron to find her. The man harbored an unrequited love for the younger Ravenclaw. Anyway, he chased her down and demanded that she return, when she refused in a rage he murdered her, and then he got so appalled over what he had done that he committed suicide. They eventually returned to Hogwarts, where, as you know, they both became their House Ghost. According to the Baron, the diadem was hidden in the jungle, and he has no clue if it is still there."

He paused to take a drink of tea then continued. "The Soldier has tried to talk to the Grey Lady, but she won't talk to him. We know, because of Quirrell, that Riddle was in Albania before the kids started Hogwarts, so it only stands to reason that he somehow picked up the diadem and possibly made it a _horcrux_ ," he finished with a half-hearted shrug and then slumped to his seat, he was just as worn-out as the Potters. Plus, he had teaching and the full moon to add to his weariness.

"Why this is good news, is because we think it's the last _horcrux_ to be found, besides the human one they talked about earlier," Sirius added, pointing at the Potters, who just unenthusiastically nodded their heads. "All we have to do is see if one of the new ghosts can talk to the Grey Lady and then hopefully we'll be one step closer to ending Riddle for good."

"My Aurors are scouring the castle with the crystals, if it is there, we'll find it," Amelia all but promised, hoping to get some hope to the Potters. "They have found many artifacts that should never be in a school, but nothing as Dark as a soul container."

"Do they know what they're looking for?" Mayur asked, knowing that some information should not get out.

"No, I told them that Pettigrew might try and kill Gary by hiding something where he could find it. So they are searching for cursed items," the Head of the DMLE said with a shrug. Even though she hated not disclosing information, she knew there were spies for both factions in her ranks. She did make sure to caution them that they were looking for deadly things, not just schoolboy tricks.

"That is good news," Lily sighed, knowing it could take a while, since they could only work when the staff and students were in bed.

This update did garner a lot of optimistic whispers, and it put the parents in a better mood. The meeting broke up on that positive note and the group assured the Potters they would look in their Family Grimoires and libraries to see if they could find what they were looking for.

 ** _December 22, 1993 Potter Manor_**

Harry was sitting in his room getting ready for Sally. He had on some workout clothes and was eager to do some dueling. He was very grateful that he and the gang trained during school, and that the practical exercises kept them fit. Sally's lessons were strenuous.

His cute little friend popped into the room. "Sit down a minute, I have some news," she said as she sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed.

"What's up?" Harry said, settling at the head of the bed.

"I brought Rowena down yesterday to talk to her stubborn daughter. It is always easier to get souls to cooperate on the solstices. Anyway, it was a huge emotional scene," she said with a shake of her head and a waving of her hands. "You try and get two crying ghosts with centuries of angst to talk rationally — it was hard, I tell ya. Anyhow, after what felt like hours of hormonal wailing, I finally got them to talk about Riddle. It seems that he charmed Helena into telling him where the diadem was, and when he came for the interview with Dumbledore he hid it in the Room of Requirements. So when you boys get back to the castle you can go and get it. Make sure you bring a lead box. Then you can send it back to your parents and let them cleanse it."

"Wait, why aren't we telling the Aurors? Mum and Dad will be pissed if we do this alone," Harry asked, peering through his bangs at his longtime friend.

"I don't want them to know about horcruxes," Sally said in a final tone. "Besides, I thought you wanted an adventure," she stated tilting her head to the side.

"I do," he said and when he heard his voice crack he blushed. _'Damn puberty.'_ It was bad enough that he and Gary had hit a growth spurt, making them all awkward and clumsy, but the voice cracking was just plain embarrassing.

Sally just giggled and nodded. They then got to training and Harry fell to an drained sleep around midnight.

The next day, he told his brother, and reluctantly his parents. He was right, they didn't want the twins to go alone, but conceded that they didn't have a reason to be at Hogwarts. So plans were made involving a lead box and Dobby.

 **Hphphp**

The rest of the holiday vacation was spent relaxed and joyful. The Potters gave out gift certificates to the kids, the Quidditch fanatics were given a week at a summer training camp. For the ones less sports enthused, they handed out passes to museums in France and Rome. Gary gave the backpack to Hermione and signed it from Secret Santa. He also added a note that said that he was worried about her, he made sure to keep it friendly so she didn't start thinking she had a stalker or secret admirer.

The Longbottom ball was a complete success, everyone relaxed and let the worries they held onto all year melt away and just enjoyed the time with friends and families. Harry went with Daphne and, well Susan was there with her Aunt, so she did get to dance with Gary. The two young couples had a good time, and they made sure not to be around the adults where they would either be teased, or chastised.

 ** _January 4, 1994_**

It was the day before the kids were to go back to Hogwarts and the Mutineers and their parents were holding an informal party at the Greengrass Manor for the children. They wanted the kids to have one more day of relaxation before the stresses started again. Now that each estate was manned with a map, all of the parents felt safer letting the teens gather.

The Greengrass Manor was as big as the Potter Manor, though not as old. It had many dining areas and sitting rooms. Their game room wasn't as large, because they never hosted twenty-seven children at one time. So the kids gathered in the largest sitting room, while the parents were in one of the dining areas going over schedules to patrol Hogsmeade.

The room was done in Slytherin colors with high priced couches and chairs. There were really nice coffee and end tables in front of and next to each seat. All the furniture had a green and silver pattern that was almost reminiscent of snakes, but not quite, it was more of a swirly design. The tables were dark wood with a silver inlaid border, which complemented the seats. There was a large rug colored in the same green with a silver design. The light fixtures were also silver. All and all it felt like you were in the Slytherin common room.

"Did everyone have a good holiday?" Daphne asked politely, trying to be the good pure-blood hostess she was raised to be. She was seated next to her boyfriend, but refrained from snuggling until she knew her guests were comfortable.

"I know I did," Spencer answered. His announcement was followed by affirmatives from around the room.

"I actually can't wait to get back to school," said Harry as he put his arm around Daphne and settled further into the very cushy sofa.

"Why?" Padma asked her brow wrinkled slightly. She would have thought the Potter twins would be reluctant to go back to Hogwarts.

"My parents are being short-tempered. Mum has been snapping at me and Gary all through this vacation. I hope that they catch that rat soon, so things can go back to normal," the messy-haired teen explained with a sigh.

"I know she doesn't mean it, but she is really stressed out," Gary said, defending his mum. "At least the uncles ran interference." Sirius and Remus had spent the entire holiday at the Manor. With Sirius' jokes and pranks and Remus' calming manner, things were much better than then could have been.

"My mum is the same," Mandy said and a lot of the students nodded their heads.

"We're going to have to pay extra attention to the maps, so we can help catch the traitor," Terry said firmly. They would do anything to make their parents less worried.

"Yeah, if it will help the adults, I guess we can give up another hour's sleep," Susan said. Her aunt was also anxious over the whole Pettigrew escape. If not more so than all but the Potters.

"Just make sure you're not the one chasing him. For all Peter is a weak wizard, he is sneaky. Don't underestimate him," Harry warned sternly.

"We won't," was the chorus response.

"Keep using the ghosts like we have been," he advised, looking at all his friends and wishing all their efforts bore fruit soon.

"On to a better topic," Gary said, sitting up and putting on a jovial face. "Who has been doing the Animagus meditation?"

Instead of cheering the group up, there was a collection of moans. "I completely forgot about that," Hannah said from her place next to Susan, who was next to Gary. "With everything that's been happening this year it is no wonder." She slumped down on the couch.

"Well, cheer up. We can start when we get back to school. Maybe we can get Luna…" he stopped to wink at the younger girl, "…to make up a crystal to help us."

"Yes, I believe I can do that. I'll see if I can't make them tonight. If not then we might have to wait until Spring Break," Luna said airily, she knew she could probably create a good one tonight.

"So what animal do you think you'll be?" the normally quiet Ellie Godfrey asked.

"I want to be something small," Gary said, surprising everyone. "Like a spider or something," he made some wiggling motions with his fingers in Susan's face, making her squeal and swat him.

"I would have thought you'd want to be a lion," Parvati said with a twitter. Lavender nudged her friend, jerked her head that the clueless boy, and then snickered too. The two girls broke out in a giggling fit that lasted until Gary held his glass of juice over their heads. He wasn't as naïve as they thought; he was just scared of Madam Bones.

"When we first thought about doing this, I did. Then with all the trouble we've had catching Skeeter and Pettigrew, I thought something small would be a good thing," he stated as he put his glass back on the table and ignored the giggling girls. An insect was an obvious answer to him; he could do loads of sneaking around with a smaller form.

"I, on the other hand, still what to be something larger. Not a lion, but a dog, like Sirius, wouldn't be bad," Harry said thoughtfully, he wanted to run with the Marauders during the full moon.

"Well, unlike your dad and uncles, if we do this we are going to register. I'm not getting Auntie in trouble by breaking the law," Susan said sternly glaring at the rest of the group.

"Of course, we will," Hannah said, putting her hand on her friend's arm to calm her. "We have always done things inside the law. It is one of the lessons the Potters taught us since we were kids."

"Yeah, just because the Marauders didn't, doesn't mean we won't," Gary said compliantly. He looked to his brother for confirmation and received a nod in return.

"Actually, my mum has already talked to your aunt, and she's going to let us slide until all of the drama with Pettigrew and Tom is over," Harry said with a huge grin. "Besides, it'll probably take years of study anyway," he said, waving away the issue.

"Well, alright then," Susan said mollified, though she did wonder why her auntie didn't tell her.

The group went back to discussing what they would be if they could transform and enjoyed a few hours of fun before they all went home.

 **Hphphp**

The next day, on the train, they all gathered in their usual compartment and noisily chatted among themselves. The car they used was crowded, though it was full of mostly first, second, third years. The upper years were with their friends, which they had more of now that inter-House relations were strong.

Luna was one of the last to arrive and she had a bag full of crystals to hand out. "These are mostly the same as Mum's crystal, so you don't have to worry about your _Occlumency,_ or the Nargles, there is just an added meditation at the end about searching for your animal," she said as the group lined up and each took their crystal from the bag. Hugs and kisses were given out to the young girl with statements of thanks.

"Do you know if these are going to be sold?" Terry asked, looking at the purple crystal.

"Daddy says that they will be, with a warning that anyone achieving Animagus form needs to register," the blonde Ravenclaw said dreamily, basking in all the attention she was getting from her friends.

"Sounds about right," was the reply as he put his crystal way.

Harry shared a look with Gary. They knew that there will be loads of people that won't register; it was one of the downfalls of selling things like this. However, they also knew that with the maps their enemies couldn't sneak up on them that way, unless they were outside. That would make them extra vigilant.

The rest of the train ride was without incident, though there was plenty of traffic through their carriage. No one was staring at the Boy-Who-Lived anymore. They just treated him like any other student, to which Gary and the rest were glad. It was what they had been trying to achieve for years. Well, maybe a couple of the first years still goggled, but it was still there was a lot of improvement.

Young Draco showed up to ask the Potter twins how their holiday went. He didn't stay long and didn't talk to anyone else in the compartment. He was actually well behaved and didn't spout off his usual slurs. A lot of the students wondered if that was due to him changing, or by orders of his deceitful father, who was under a great deal of pressure from the DMLE. He was suspected of handing the diary to young Ginny, but they had no proof, so they were watching him.

 ** _January 9, 1994_**

The twins took a few days to get back into the swing of school. Their classes were getting progressively harder, which was to be expected. It was now Saturday and after curfew, and they were going to go to the Room of Hidden Things to get the diadem. They enlisted the help of the Hufflepuff Soldier to see if he could talk to the Grey Lady into showing them where it was in the room. The two boys met outside, and the Ravenclaw Ghost was floating beside them, wringing her hands. This item was the cause of much discontent in her life and death. She hated being close to it.

"Don't worry, my lady, we'll make sure it is taken good care of," Gary said, wishing he could pat her hand to give her comfort.

"What do you plan on doing with my mother's diadem when you have rid it of the foulness that Riddle placed upon it?" the ghost asked in her soft, shy voice with her pale eyes full of worry.

"We are going to make sure that all the items are given back to their owners. In this case that is Hogwarts, since your line died with you… which is most destressing to hear," Harry answered gently, this particular ghost needed to be handled delicately.

"Yes, it was foolish of me to run away," she sighed. She had gained some peace after talking to her mother. She still held the Bloody Baron in contempt; he had killed her after all. There was talk about this being a History lesson, but she was not complete won over yet. She didn't want the students to pity her, but sometimes she wanted them to know what a cad her murderer was. She was thinking about the pro and cons of both issues.

"Let's just find the diadem, and get it to Mum. The adults can figure the rest out," Gary said and paced up and down the hall three times. _'I need a room to hide things,'_ he thought to the wall _._

A plain wooden door appeared, and Harry opened it and peeked inside. "Whoa, that's a lot of junk," he said in awe. "I'm glad you know where to go, Lady Helena," he added, looking fondly at the shy ghost.

The room was full of piles and shelves of treasure and junk. The ceiling was high and the mounds reach almost to the top. Some of the things they noticed were; broken and damaged furniture, thousands and thousands of books, chipped bottles of congealed potions, corked bottles whose contents still shimmered evilly, what looked like dragon eggshells, hats, jewels, cloaks, and much, much more.

The Grey Lady nodded and wove her way through the maze the piles and shelves made. She went towards the middle of the room, and sitting upon a shelf was the headdress. It was a golden crown that had a blue oval sapphire in the middle and what looked to be wings, made of gold, bloomed out from the jewel. Etched upon its surface was Ravenclaw's famous quote: 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.' The daughter of Rowena sighed at the sight.

"Gary, get the box out," Harry said as he levitated the curse item off the shelf. Gary hurried to comply. When he had the lead box out and open, he placed it on the floor. Harry quickly floated the ancient artifact into it and closed the lid. "Dobby," he called.

The twins' elf popped into the room. "Master Harry is calling Dobby?" he squeaked as he once more threw himself around the boy's legs. Even after all this time that still happened, much to Harry's displeasure. Gary laughed like he always did.

"Yeah, can you take this to Mum? She's expecting it," Harry answered as he pulled the elf off his legs and pointed at the box.

"Dobby can do," the little elf said and with a snap of his fingers the box and the elf disappeared.

In his wake the Hufflepuff Soldier came through the wall of the room and floated to the boys. "You need to hurry, one of the Aurors is outside the door," he whispered urgently.

"Shite, I was hoping weren't looking in this area," Harry said as his head snapped to the door. "Gary, follow my lead," he said turning to his brother. The Grey Lady and the Hufflepuff Soldier vanished through the walls.

"Okay," the other teen said with a nod.

The door opened and Shacklebolt entered. "What are you boys doing in here?" he called out.

"Auror Shacklebolt, is that you? Come and look what we've found," Harry yelled back. _"Just act like a kid who is treasure hunting."_

 _"Right, good idea,"_ the younger twin thought back and then widened his eyes and stared in wonder around the room.

"You kids should be in bed. There is an escaped criminal running about, remember?" the tall dark man chastised. "Especially you, Gary," he added, making the teen look at the floor in mock shame.

"Sorry," he mumbled, hating to act like this, but understanding the reason.

"Yeah, sorry, but look at this room," Harry said, not acting near as contrite as his brother and waving his hands to indicate the treasure all around them.

"What is this room? And why isn't it on the map?" Shacklebolt asked, observing all the things piled up around the three. He knew the Potter twins had maps of their own, but he was under orders not to disclose that bit of knowledge to anyone. He had an inkling that their cohorts did as well, but he had never caught them with one.

"I can only guess that the Marauders never found it. The Hufflepuff Soldier told me about it, and I wanted to show Gary before we tell our friends. It's a brother thing," Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Gary nodded along, bouncing in place and looking around the room again. "Yeah, think of all the cool things we could find," he said excitedly, like the young teen he was.

"I don't think so, boys," the black Auror said, shaking his bald head. "From what I can see, some of this stuff could be harmful. I'll call Madam Bones in the morning and let her know about it. Besides, that doesn't explain why you're sneaking around after curfew. I am supposed to be protecting you two. I can't do that if you are not where you're supposed to be." He glared at the twins.

The boys took on a crestfallen look, as if they were told they couldn't have pudding. "We're sorry," came the twin response. They hung their heads giving off a perfectly remorseful image.

"Come on, let's get you guys back to your common rooms," the man sighed, grabbing each boy by the elbow and leading them out of the room. The tall Auror made sure to comment on how dangerous it was to be roaming around the castle when there was a murderer about.

Gary was dropped of first as his dorm was the closest. He waited for ten minutes before calling his brother mentally. _"Did he buy it?"_

 _"Seems like it, though I did get a long talk about making you sneak out after curfew. Like I was the Gryffindor and you were the Ravenclaw,"_ Harry grumbled _._ The Auror had gone on and on about putting his brother in danger, which according to their cover story was his fault, but it was the principle of the thing. Shacklebolt didn't say anything to Gary about causing mischief.

 _"Sorry you got accused, I wonder why,"_ Gary mused, feeling his brother's discontent over the bond _._

 _"I think Shacklebolt is one of Dumbledore's people,"_ Harry replied thoughtfully. Though Madam Bones said she trusted the man, he still came off as someone the old man could control.

 _"It's too bad we didn't get to explore the room. Well at least we had a small adventure, plus, we're one step closer to finishing off Voldemort,"_ Gary said distractedly.

 _"Yeah, Mum and Dad will be happy about that."_

 _"You should go to bed, you sound tired."_

 _"Yeah, Goodnight, Gary, don't let Sally work you too hard,"_ Harry replied, and his brother could hear the yawning in his thoughts.

 _"Night,"_ Gary said and cut the link. Just when he was about to go to his dorm the Weasley twins dropped down on either side of him.

Fred draped his arm over the younger boy's shoulders and winked at his brother. "Look who was out after curfew, brother of mine," he said with a smile.

"Breaking rules and sneaking about," George said, bumping Gary in the shoulder.

"Brought in by the bobbies."

"We couldn't be prouder," the redheaded menaces stated together.

"Best not let Oliver find out you were being naughty," Fred warned with a playful smile and a shake of his finger. "If you get suspended from the team, well that might just do him in," he finished dramatically.

"Leave off, you two. It was important," Gary said, elbowing each twin.

"Oh, were you meeting the fair maiden Susan?" Fred asked with a wink and a nudge.

"Our ickle Garykins is all grown up," George said, placing his hand on his heart. Fred nodded in agreement and wiped fake tears from his eyes.

"Come off it," Gary snarled. "I wouldn't break the rules for a girl."

"Pray tell, what had you creeping around the castle in the middle of the night?"

"We found a room that's not on the map," the younger boy said with a bounce. Then deflated, "But, we were caught by Shacklebolt. Shame too, because that room had loads of treasure." He slumped in his seat.

"A room not on the map? Loads of treasure?" both Weasleys asked excitedly, jumping up like they were going to run out the portrait to see what this room was about.

"Yeah, but Shacklebolt said he's going to tell Madam Bones about it tomorrow, so we can't explore it. And don't think you can sneak out and find it yourselves, remember he has a map," Gary sighed in defeat. "That's how he caught us."

The twins flopped down at the missed opportunity and stared at the fire place. "Where is this room?" Fred asked, after five minutes passed.

"Seventh floor, across from the tapestry of someone trying to teach trolls to dance," Gary said with a tilt of his head.

"Right," they stated, then got up and went out the portrait.

"Good luck," the younger twin muttered.

Hermione sat down in the chair across from his and glared at him. "Why were you out after curfew?" she demanded, her arms crossed and her forehead crested in agitation.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked innocently.

"You were out of the common room after hours. Why?" she inquired crossly.

"And you need to know because…?" he asked openly.

"I don't want you losing us house points," she said defensively, leaning forward almost invading his space.

"What are you doing to take all five electives?" he countered.

"That is none of your business," she snapped, her hand going up to clasp the necklace he figured was the time turner.

"And what I do is none of yours," he said with a bit of a bite.

"It is if you lose us points," she rebutted, dropping her hand and taking on a stubborn look, which made Gary scoff.

"Hermione, you are not a prefect, nor are you my mother. I don't have to explain myself to you," the teen boy stated again. When the bushy haired girl opened her mouth to argue, Gary held up his hands and stated, "Look, I like you, I'm concerned about you as a Housemate, I think you're smart, and when you want to be, you're nice. But, I stand by my statement, you are not my mother, nor are you in a position of authority. When you are made a prefect you can demand answers, until then leave it to the people in charge." Without waiting for her to answer he got up and went to wait for Sally. He never noticed the thoughtful look on her face.

 **Hphphp**

Monday passed quickly as the students attended classes, it was now lunch. There was talk among the upper years about the fifth years receiving a gory History lesson from the Bloody Baron. They now all knew why his robes were stained with blood. The talks around the table were morbid. Seventh years confirmed the story, because they had the Grey Lady in their class. She went in to just as much detail over the fact that the Bloody Baron killed her.

"It was the saddest love story I've ever heard," gushed a fifth year girl.

"What are you on about?" Fred asked, as he served himself up some beef stew. He had been in the same class as her, and he didn't remember anything romantic about it.

The girl repeated the same murder/suicide story Remus had told the adult, bar the horcrux part.

"That's awful," Hermione cried out, her face in a state of shock.

"It's romantic," the girl argued. "He swears that he loves her to this day. How is that not romantic?"

"I don't think the Grey Lady agrees with you," Fred said, giving the girl a weird look and pointing to the ghost in question, who was glaring at one of the Ravenclaw girls that was gushing over her.

"It is not romantic!" the normally shy ghost yelled and then flew out of the room. The whole room fell silent for about ten seconds and then the whispers started again.

Gary let them hash it out as he ate his stew. He looked around the Hall and saw a lot of females arguing with males. Harry was having a debate with Mandy and was shaking his head, so he figured his older brother didn't think it was dreamy either.

He looked over at the Slytherin table and saw Draco's face when someone told him how the Baron got bloody. The poor boy looked like he would lose his lunch. He noted that Daphne and Tracey didn't look much better.

Perhaps this was a lesson that should be in a novel and not in a school, but it was too late now. Gary figured it would all blow over when there was a new break up or get together. He looked a Susan and winked, she was a pragmatic girl, so he wasn't worried about her getting all dreamy-eyed over this morose gossip.


	30. Almost Had Him

**Chapter 30 Almost Had Him**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own. Remember the rewrite doesn't have a beta.**

 _Now Hermione will be seen in a better light, eventually, while Ron is still in the background. However, Peter is going to be OOC because he was in Azkaban for a few years, making him a little crazy._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _A short narration_**

The Hunting Team was at a standstill, the only _horcrux_ left was human one, which the Potters were under vow not to reveal. It didn't stop them from looking though, they just weren't finding anything.

The adults were still poring over the Grimoires to find a spell to transfer a living _horcrux_ to a non-living object. The Potters thought that perhaps if their son had it in a necklace, he could carry it. That way it would be out of his head, and he could use it to save his life. So far there were a few that they hoped they could tweak to be used, they were gaining back some of that hope they lost.

The Room of Hidden Things had been scoured for Dark objects and potions. Though not before the Weasley twins had a quick run-through, who know what they found and they weren't talking. They did hint that they wouldn't need the Marauders help for the future joke shop. They'd still work with them, but the funding was no longer needed. The Potter twins were happy for them and kept it quiet.

The Department of Mysteries fell on that room like it had lost relics of Merlin. They tore it apart and had it cleaned out in two days. The most of the treasures were donated to the Hogwarts funds and all the books were given to the Hogwarts library, bar a few very historical ones. If there were many copies the Board decided to donate them to the Hogsmeade Library for the villagers to use. Items were sold to the shops in Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and even Knockturn Alley. The proceeds were put in the school funds and scholarships. Things that couldn't be sold were given to the Junk Shop or donated to the poor.

The Hogsmeade Library continued to be a success, and plans were in the making for a larger facility in Diagon Alley, though the paperwork for that area was much more complex than what had been needed for Hogsmeade.

The Animagus crystals sold like chestnuts in winter. The registration for wizards and witches had bloomed from five to twenty-five. Everyone knew there were unregistered magical folk, and some worried that the Death Eaters were among them. However it was reasoned that anything that gave the common folk an edge was considered a good thing.

The Mutineers where still trying to find their animals. They weren't that discouraged, this type of magic was for those much older than them. Even the Marauders couldn't do it until their fourth year. Some did come to the conclusion that they wouldn't be able to transform. Gary was getting his wish, in that he knew his animal was tiny. Harry's animal was too cloudy to know.

 ** _February 10, 1994_**

Gary was quite worried about Hermione. She was studying all the time, every time he saw her she had a book in her hand. Or she was helping the rest of her group with their homework. He never saw them studying on their own, only doing their homework at the last minute, which caused their friend to stress out more. They would pester the poor girl like it was up to her to make sure they got good grades. He was unhappy, because these four students knew better, they had all been taught good study habits at his house after all. He worried that his mum's spell had wiped all the good they taught the ex-Mutineers. He would have to ask her or Sally.

Right now he was in the common room looking for a place to finish his homework. He spotted Hermione sitting on her own at a table surrounded by books. He made his way over, sat across from her, pulled out his own Runes notes and got busy. Silently they worked for about a half an hour. Then the girl suddenly broke the silence and asked, "What do you want?"

"What do you mean? I'm just doing my homework," Gary asked his head tilted in confusion.

"Nobody sits by me to do homework unless they want help," she stated with and exasperated sigh as she laid down her quill and looked at him squarely.

"Then those people are stupid or lazy," he said firmly and bent over his essay.

"Don't talk about my friends like that," the bushy haired girl snapped, slamming her hand on the book in front of him, causing him to look back at her.

"Friends? Are you sure? Because friends don't use friends to do their homework," Gary snarled back, gently pushing her hand off his book and glaring at her.

Hermione's head snapped back as if slapped, and she defensively said, "That's not all they do."

"Really, what else do they do with you?" was the almost condescending response. "Because I've been watching and the only time I see you guys together is when homework needs to be done or at meal times. They even let you wander alone on Hogsmeade weekends, which is very dangerous, considering there's a criminal on the loose," he stated with a look of loathing at the two boys in question, who were playing some game or another on the other side of the room.

"We just… well they… we don't share a lot of common interest, that's all. I like books and studying. Ron and Seamus are sports fans, and Faye and Leanne are more into clothes than I am," she mumbled looking down at the table.

"Hermione, I've said it before, I like you. You're an interesting person. I think you can do better. I don't always share the same interests with my friends. However, we make sure we spend time together and discuss things we do have in common," the dark-haired teen said softly as he lifted her chin gently and looked into her eyes.

"You don't understand…" she started only to drift off, removing her chin from his grasp and looking off to the side.

"Oh, I do understand," he said, grimacing at the loud voice of Ron, who was shouting victory over the game. "It disgust me, I used to know them, but not anymore. The people I knew would never treat someone this way. You are worth much more than homework help," he added, looking at the very weary witch in front of him.

"I'm very busy, and I would appreciate it if you didn't ridicule my friends," the bushy-haired witch said primly, her lips pursed. "If you don't need my help, then let me get back to my own work." And she bent over her essay and started writing.

"I know what you're doing," Gary said softly. "Your friends aren't very good friends if they aren't trying to talk you out of it," he added.

Her head shot up and her eyes filled with shock, and worry. "I don't know what you're talking about," she hissed, grabbing the time turner through her robes.

"Look, I'm not going to try and stop you, it is not my place, but I have to say that you're doing too much. If you were only working on your homework then you might be okay, but you're doing the studies of five people. Hermione, not even adults would take on that much by themselves."

"I can do it," she said defensively. She stood and started gathering up her papers and books. "What business is it of yours anyway? You don't like it when I ask you questions, so why are you bothering me?"

"I just don't like seeing people used. If you ever need someone to talk to I'll be here," he offered as he watched her shove her stuff into an overly full bag. "Besides, I'm not demanding answers from you. I'm simply telling you what I've noticed and offering my advice. Whether you take it or not is up to you." He shrugged and made sure to keep his voice even.

"Well for future reference— don't," she snapped, grabbing up her bookbag and storming off.

Gary sighed and went back to his homework, hopeful that he at least planted a seed of doubt in her mind. She was a smart girl, just a little ignorant about how friends acted. Still, there was hope.

 ** _February 12, 1994_**

Monday would be Valentine's Day and it was a Hogsmeade weekend. The older Mutineers were all going to the village. They were starting in a large group, and then splitting up when they got there. Harry and Daphne were going to shop with his usual study-buddies. Gary was going with the Gryffindor Mutineers, Lavender, Hannah and Susan. Both boys received a lot of ribbing for hanging around mostly girls. Terry and Dean were in there groups, which helped a bit, but they too got tease. All four males just laughed and said something along the lines of 'who wouldn't want to be surrounded by pretty females.' That shut the hecklers up.

Breakfast was over and the kids went to get their winter cloaks. They all met at the door and started down the path to the village. A great deal of discussion was speculation on what the Potter twins were planning for this year. The boys weren't talking; little did the group know that Harry and Gary had yet to decide what to do for Valentine's Day. They didn't want to do what they had done last year, but there really weren't that many options for just friends. They did talk about getting Daphne and Susan something special and would be talking to their mum about it today.

The twins let each group know they were going to the library to talk to their mum, and that they could either come with or they would meet up with them later. They all agreed and it was a cheery bunch of kids that took the walk to Hogsmeade. They made a beeline to the library and the group quietly split up. Harry and Gary went looking for their mum.

Lily was manning Pandora's Box for the cashier, who was on an early lunch. The twins went to join her. "Mum, we don't know what to get the girls this year. Do you have any ideas for just friend gifts for the females in our group?" Harry asked as he leaned against the wall behind the booth.

"Well, there are quite a few actually. You can get a small stuffed animal, or a picture frame. There are also pens or quills, for the more studious ones. Or some personalized stationary for letter writing. There are really lots of things to choose from. Aren't you putting this off a little late? It's not like we don't talk nightly," she asked with a quirk of her lips.

Gary slumped at his mother's teasing and answered, "We were hoping to come up with something ourselves, but everything we thought of could be taken the wrong way. We also wanted to ask what we could get Susan and Daphne. Nothing big, like a ring or anything, but something that lets them know we are still thinking about them."

Susan had been diligently chipping away at his fear of her aunt. She made sure to tell good stories about the kind woman she was. The girl constantly stated Amelia Bones wouldn't hurt an innocent. She finally broke through and the 'not-couple' would hold hands on the sly and every now and then a quick peck on the lips. Since the Aurors were still patrolling and using the map, it was the best they could do.

"If you want to keep it simple then a small locket or charm bracelet would be best," Lily suggested, reaching over and mussing up their hair. It was good to see the boys unwind a little. Now if they could only catch Peter, then everyone could relax more. The schedule that the parents were going through just to patrol this village was wearing on everyone's nerves. All the near misses weren't helping. "I do suggest that you don't get matching gifts."

The boys blushed at that, sometimes it was hard to separate their thoughts. Both had been thinking about lockets for the two girls.

"You're right, thanks, Mum," Harry said, pushing off the wall and giving his mother a hug. "I'm going to get the gang and we'll go shopping." He turned to Gary and asked. "Teddy bears for our together gifts?" He waited for the nod. "You buy them, and take them to the post office… oh wait; there are too many girls in our groups. Maybe we should split off from our friends after lunch and shop together," he suggested, looking at his brother.

"That's actually a good idea," Gary said with a shrug. "I'll let the gang know. How does around one sound? We can meet up at The Three Broomsticks and then head to The Cheerful Duck and get the teddy bears. Maybe we can get them with t-shirts with Valentine wishes printed on them. Then we can go to Blue Stone Jewels and pick out nice something for Daphne and Susan," he mused as he eyes glazed over, completely lost in visions of Susan thanking him for the gift, clad in only…

Seeing what his brother was thinking about, Harry whacked him upside his head and said, "Get your mind out of the gutter." When Gary shook he head to clear it, the older twin continued, "So, I'll see you at one." And with a shake of his head at puberty, he looked to his brother for confirmation.

"Okay, Harry. Thanks, Mum," Gary stated with a blush at her lifted eyebrow as he gave her a hug. He quickly gathered his friends, and they left the library.

Harry waved to his mum and went to find his group. They were in the computer room looking up Valentines for friends. He thumped his hand to his forehead and wondered why he didn't think of that. They spent a few more minutes cruising the sites, and then decided to go shopping. It was an enjoyable afternoon, with much laugher and joking.

At noon all of the Mutineers, and what seemed like the rest of the students, met up at The Three Broomsticks. It was quite crowded, but Madam Rosmerta was in her element and everyone was served in due time.

After a big lunch of roast beef sandwich, crisps and butterbeer, Harry and Gary split off from their friends. They told them they would make their way back to the castle together. Not many were worried, with the parents patrolling. So the twins said their goodbyes, and went to the toy shop.

Inside were walls and walls of toys. Many were flying around above their heads and some of the stuffed animals were moving or talking. The boys decided that they wouldn't get animated toys and stuck to their plan.

They approached the cashier and told her what they wanted. She was more than happy to help them out. Magic was a wonderful thing, because the one they choose was limited, but the clerk could copy it. The teddy bear they picked was a simple one. It was a light brown with a button nose and blue glass eyes. It bore a white t-shirt and the phrases they chose for each girl were spelled on. All in all it took about an hour to get every female taken care of.

They took their purchases to the Post Office, and arranged for them to be delivered on Valentine's Day morning, before the normal post. It cost them extra, but their friends were worth it.

The twins then went to the jewelry store and spent a half an hour choosing the gifts. Gary went for the charm sports anklet, which he felt that her aunt wouldn't object to. Harry picked a nice heart shaped locket that was intertwined with ivy, which opened and had a space for very small pictures. It was silver and green and he thought she'd appreciate that. They paid for their purchases and left the store.

"I hope Susan likes this anklet," Gary deliberated as he looked at the simple gold chain that had a charm depicting a snitch with fluttering wings. Each year he would get another charm, even go to the non-magical world and get some footballs and such.

"She will," Harry offered, not really paying attention as he was looking at the heart shaped locket in his hand. He ran his finger over the delicate ivy and smiled. "I just hope Madam Bones won't get mad that you're giving it to her."

"I know, but Susan swears she won't. I _really_ hope she's right, that woman is scary when she's angry," Gary said as he turned a bit pale.

"I wouldn't worr…" Harry started only to trail off as a hand grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into an alley.

Gary dropped the anklet and immediately followed. He had his wand out and a curse on his lips. When he got further into the alleyway he heard a man mumbling, "Master will be so proud of me. I will bring him the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Let my brother go, you bastard," Gary yelled at the same time Harry was yelling, "Let me go, asshat." Harry struggled in the firm grip, kicking his feet backwards, hitting the crazy man's shins trying to get away from him. The captured boy head-butted the man behind him and broke his nose, but his capturer held tight.

"No, no, I must bring Gary Potter to my Master," the skeletal man said frantically, never once loosening his grip. His prison robes hung off his boney frame, his grey-brown hair was long and matted. There was a desperate look in his eye, which made Gary very cautious. Azkaban had done this man no favors; he looked nothing like the pictures they had seen of him. Gone was the plump, shy man, present was a crazy hardened criminal, whose only desire was to gain favor with his absent Master.

Pettigrew dragged Harry further into the alley. He whipped out a knife and pressed against the boy's neck. Harry stopped struggling, his eyes caught Gary's and they started frantically communicating plans mentally.

There was a noise at the mouth of the alley and a bushy-haired girl entered with her wand drawn. "Harry, Gary? What can I do?" she asked anxiously, staying at the entrance to the alley with a determined look in her eye.

Knowing the girl had no training, Gary quickly said, "Go and get my mum. She's in the library." He hoped Hermione would do as he asked; she was a liability if she stayed.

"I can't leave you here," the girl said defiantly, a true Gryffindor. Gary had always been truthful with her. Blunt and sometimes hurtful, but he never lied. She couldn't leave him and his brother to a mad man. She firmed her shoulders and stood straighter, her arm rose until it pointed at Pettigrew's head. Unfortunately Harry was in the way of any clean shots.

"Hermione, trust me. Go and get my mum," Gary said more firmly as he edged closer to Harry and Wormtail.

Peter pressed the knife firmer into to Harry's neck when he noted Gary's movements. He turned and made sure he had a human shield no matter whose wand was pointing at him. He ducked his head behind his captive and continued mumbling about how his Master would be proud.

Harry hissed at the pain, and Gary stopped moving when he saw a bead of blood run down his brother's neck.

Hermione looked torn. Her eyes were darting around as she looked to see if there really was anything she could do. After about a minute she decided to do what Gary said and ran from the alley.

Gary let out a small sigh of relief, never taking his eyes off the scene in front of him. He observed a lot of garbage in the alley and quickly sent a message to Harry. There was a broken cauldron behind Wormtail and he was going to try and knock him out.

 _"I'm going to hit him with some garbage, be ready to duck and escape,"_ he sent his pissed off brother.

 _"He might cut me more,"_ Harry thought back.

 _"I can't think of anything else. Can you?"_ Gary demanded, listening to the demented man mumble to himself.

 _"Okay, hit him hard,"_ the trapped boy stated, as he put his feet apart and got ready to get free. Harry had to be careful to move with the man so he didn't get badly cut. He inched his hand up to grab the arm with the knife to limit any damage. He was hopeful that someone with healing abilities would get here soon and made a mental note to start studying those spells.

Gary silently and with a slight lifting of his hand, levitated the broke cauldron up until it was right behind the desperate man, almost with his mind the movements with his left hand were so small. He nodded his head minutely, jerked his hand and slammed the pot on to Peter's head, which caused the man to stumble forward.

Harry moved with his capturer as he grabbed the hand with the knife. He rammed his head into the man holding him, breaking his nose further.

Peter quickly reverted into his rat form and started running. He stumbled his way down the alley as Gary tried to shot a spell at him, but Harry was still in the way.

Harry's neck was bleeding steadily, but the knife seemed have missed the vein. He was still woozy from the head-but and now blood loss, but he hurriedly went to his brother's side. They both shot off spells, his was the _Sectumsempra_ , which Sally taught them and made them promise to only use if their life was threated. He was hoping to injure Pettigrew, severely, but his eyesight was blurry from the pain and he missed.

The younger twin rained down stunning spells and a few deadly hexes, but the rat was too close to garbage and he would duck and dodge every light that came to him. Gary shot another _Stupefy_ at the rodent, but just before the red light hit, the rat stumbled drunkenly behind the trash bins. He quickly started to levitate the bins away from the wall. But Wormtail wasn't there.

There was a hole in the wall and Harry cast an _Accio_ trying to bring the escaped prisoner to them, but it didn't work. They blasted the outer part of wall, but there was piping on the other side. Sending more blasting curses to the pipes, and seeing many rats scurry away, they finally realized that the man was gone.

Just then more noise came from the alley opening and the twins whipped around, wands up and saw it was the adults. They both let out a collective sigh and dropped their wands to their side.

Lily saw her eldest son's pale face and the blood still streaming down his neck. She gave a cry of despair and practically _Apparated_ to her injured child. She quickly cast an _Episkey_ to try and stop the bleeding. It took four passes, but the wound finally closed. She made the same mental note Harry had about learning better healing spells.

"Oh, Merlin, are you boys alright?" Sirius asked breathlessly, and then paled when he saw Harry. "Shite," he said and called Madam Pomfrey on the mirror. He then went to examine his godson.

"I'm okay, Padfoot. Just shaken and pissed off that we missed him again. Damn him and his rat form. We almost had him!" Gary shouted the last sentence in frustration, kicking the busted up wall. "What took you so long," he demanded.

"We were at the library, yeah. Natalie only just saw him here," the dark-haired man defended the adults. "We can only _Apparate_ where it's designated, so we went there and ran here."

"Right, sorry, I didn't mean that you were holding back. It's just…" Gary said, running a hand down his face.

"Don't worry, Gary, I understand," Padfoot stated, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Hermione was leaning against the wall of the alley, trying to compose herself. She had run half-way the way to the library only to see the adults run towards the alley. So she followed. She was torn on what to think. She had been listening to Ron all this time, and he had been telling her that the Potter twins were making up the danger they were supposed to be in. Now she knew that they really were being hunted. Maybe it was time she listened to others besides her friends.

"We need to get Harry to the Infirmary, he has lost a lot of blood," Lily said, gathering up her eldest and started walking to the castle. "Sirius, use the mirror and tell Madam Pomfrey what has happened. Then call Flitwick so he knows too. Also call Savage, he should still be on duty, and tell him the rat got away—again," she barked out orders and grabbed Gary as they passed by.

"I already did, she'll meet us along the way," he answered as went to Harry's other side. But, he pulled out his mirror and followed the rest of the order while holding on to the older twin.

Gary snagged Hermione's robe as they walked past, he wasn't leaving her there alone. She resisted for a second, and then shook her head and followed along. He stopped at the street and picked up the jewelry they had dropped, noting that some cleansing charms would be in order. He tucked the items in his robe and followed his brother and escorts, still very worried about Harry. The younger twin kept Hermione close, not trusting that rat bastard to be gone.

A few more adults joined the group as they quickly walked up the path to the castle. They were met by the Nurse and she stopped them to cast diagnostic spells. Her lips firmed at the results; nevertheless, she nodded reassuringly to Lily. Harry would be alright. She turned a rock into a floating gurney and made Harry lay down. Lily never let go of his hand.

Professor Flitwick ran as fast as his little legs allowed and met them at the gates. "Oh my, what happened?" he said, seeing his student's bloody robes and pale face. Sirius had only told him that Harry was injured and was on the way back.

"Pettigrew," Lily snarled, still holding Harry's hand tightly. Gary and Hermione were trailing behind. The other adults fanned out, wands drawn.

"Oh my," the diminutive professor repeated with a worried shake of his head. "Well, let's get him to the Hospital Wing. There is nothing Poppy can't cure. Rest your mind, Mrs. Potter." He patted the distraught woman's arm.

Three Aurors passed them on the way to the front doors. They stopped long enough to ask where they had last seen the convict and then ran to the village. Nobody was hopeful they would catch him, but glad to see the men doing their job.

Dumbledore met them in the Entrance Hall and was looking at the hurt boy with concerned eyes. He fell in step with them. "Poppy told me what happened before she left," he said, looking at the Mediwitch then back to Harry. "I do hope your injuries are not serious, my boy."

"No, sir, it wasn't a deep cut, it just bled a lot," Harry offered from his place on the flying bed, his head woozy and he vision was blurred.

"That is good news indeed," the Headmaster said with his eyes twinkling. Then he shook his head a little and said, "Though I must express my disappointment in you two. Had you not left your friends this might not have happened. I can see that you are not ready to take up the fight alone, so once again, I offer my services for your training. Perhaps with time and proper instruction, you can prevent such occurrences."

"Now is not the time, Dumbledore." Lily snapped, not once stopping the trek to the infirmary. "And don't you dare chastise my children. That is up to me and James. And I, for one, don't think they did anything wrong." She was actually quite proud of her sons.

"You are, of course, correct, my dear. Perhaps we can take up the discussing another time. Mr. Potter, I do hope you feel better soon," he offered and then broke off from the group to reassess his plans.

Harry had to stay the night in the Hospital Wing after consuming some _Blood Replenishing_ potion. He was fine the next day, but for the anger of the traitor getting away. Gary was more protective of his brother than ever. They kept their link open most of the time now.

Valentine's Day went off without a hitch and all the girls loved their gifts. Tension was tight and defense training started to be more strenuous, since no one wanted to be off guard again.

Until the end of the year, Gary and Harry were never left alone. Schedules were formed within the Mutineers to make sure they were escorted everywhere they went. They were denied access to Hogsmeade and even though they were disappointed, they did understand.

There was talk on the Board that all weekends should be cancelled until the convict was caught, but the pure-bloods asked why their children should be punished over one man's need to capture the Boy-Who-Lived. So they went on as scheduled.

Hermione seemed to be less stressed as the months passed and Gary found out she had dropped two of her classes. She kept closer to the Mutineers and even rejoined their study group. Her friends berated her about it, saying the Mutineers were not the type of people she should be hanging around. They couldn't remember why, just that they didn't like them much. Without a concrete reason for such statements, Hermione defended her actions and still helped them with their homework. She wasn't going to drop one group for another again. Hopefully she would have more friends now.

The Headmaster only made one more attempt to offer extra studies for the twins. When asked if the other Mutineers could get said studies also, he dropped the subject.

Only glimpses of the rat were seen the rest of the year. The students started to relax, since he was never seen around the castle. That was until a chilling prophecy was made to Parvati when she stayed after class one day. She wanted to ask Trelawney about her tarot card reading from her final exam. The Professor stopped in the middle of her explanation and her voice took on a deep, hollow, and haunting tone. Her eyes were vacant as she was stared at nothing.

 **"** ** _It will happen tonight… Tonight before midnight the servant will run… Abandoning his quest to start anew… He will rejoin and revive his master… and a reign of terror will start stronger than before… Only the chosen one can stop it… Tonight before midnight the servant will run… It will happen tonight._** **"**

Parvati got so scared that she ran from the room, immediately got on the mirror and called Gary. "Trelawney just made a prediction. If I understand it correctly then Pettigrew is going to find Voldemort soon and they are going to bring him back," she said loudly when Gary's face showed in the mirror. "It was a real prophecy, Gary. Her face got blank and her voice wasn't her own. You can't deny this one," she said persistently, knowing the boys penance for dismissing Trelawney's musings.

"Shite," Gary swore and sent a mental message to his brother, who got on his mirror to his dad. The younger twin then turned back to his friend and saw the worry on her face. "Don't worry, Parvati, I do believe you, and you know the adults are still on the lookout. I'll have the uncles, Mum and Dad keep a closer watch on the village, and maybe they can stop him. Susan will let her aunt know." He tried to calm his hysterical friend. "Why don't you come to the Great Hall where you can be around friends? Lavender will want to hear what Trelawney said."

"I'm just so worried," the distraught girl said as she practically ran down the halls, thankful that there were a lot of students roaming around. She really didn't want to be in empty areas right now.

"I know, but the Mutineers are here for you," Gary said calmly. "Try not to run; you'll only bring attention to yourself. How about you mentally talk to Padma, she can help you over this shock."

"You're right," Parvati said, slowing down.

"I know and I thank you for letting me know," Gary said in a calm voice, like he was trying to tempt a quivering rabbit to come out of its hole. "Talk to Padma, and I'll see you in the Hall."

"Okay. Done." And the mirror went blank.

 _"Harry, what did the parents say?"_ he asked as he leaned against a wall.

 _"Mostly things like 'You're never leaving the house again,' and stuff of that nature,"_ came the blunt reply.

Gary groaned. Summer was not going to be fun.

 ** _A short narrative_**

Gary was right, summer was long. True to their word the Potter adults didn't let the boys out of the house. It reminded them of when they were younger. The Mutineers were allowed to visit, but the boys had to stay home. The Greengrass girls spent a lot of time at the Potter Manor. Susan was also there most days, with her aunt's blessing.

Now that the curse was broken, Remus was going to continue as the DADA professor, so he was busy with class plans. Lily could be found doing research most days. James was at the Wizengamot making sure that laws were not passed that would give Voldemort an upper hand. It helped that Malfoy was still playing the good boy card. Sirius was diligent in his duties as godfather and made sure the boys were entertained while under house arrest.

After several sightings of Pettigrew out of the country, the Aurors were not scheduled to be back at Hogwarts the next year, much to the protest of the Potter household. Sally said she would make sure the ghosts still patrolled the halls.

The boys' and Neville's birthday passed with a huge party at the Potter Manor. Everyone in the Mutineers and most of the neutral pure-bloods came.

So while the boys were confined to the Manor, they still had lots of company.

 ** _August 8, 1994 Potter Manor_**

The house was mostly quiet, everyone was sleeping. The only noise that could be hear was the tossing and turning of one teenage boy. He was having a nightmare. In this dream Voldemort was laying out his plans to Wormtail.

 _"You have done well, Wormtail," a hissing voice said from a chair by a fireplace. "When you came and found me, I was quite surprised. Now I consider you one of my most loyal followers. With my other devoted servant our plans will not fail." The voice sounded quite proud of the traitor, making the gaunt man stand taller._

 _"Thank you, My Lord," the rat said humbly, though there was a note of pride in his voice. He was quite mad; Azkaban cracked his mind to the point that all he wanted to do was please his Master. "I was lucky to stumble upon Bertha Jorkins," he said simply. "Watching you kill her to further your cause was a great pleasure of mine," he added with a hidden sadistic grin._

 _"Yes, and the information we got before her death will make our plans much easier. Do not be humble, Wormtail, my servants must stand tall and proud," the Dark Lord chastised the skeletal man firmly. "Now, we must be diligent; I will ask many things of you this year."_

 _"For you, My Lord, I will do anything," the skinny, balding man said. Gone was the prison uniform, in its place was true wizarding robes. His Master insisted on proper attire._

 _"Where is Nagini? I must feed soon," the small figure asked, moving restless in the large chair._

 _"She is hunting, My Lord. I will milk her when she returns," Wormtail said, moving towards his Master. "Allow me to move you closer to the fireplace."_

 _"Yes, a little closer, I think," was the quiet reply._

It was then that Harry saw the baby-like being bundled in a mass of blankets, its little hand gripping a wand and its blood red eyes peering at Wormtail, making Harry shudder at the thought that Voldemort would possess a baby. Then again he was an evil man and would kill one. On the other hand, this could be a magical construct. Harry didn't know, but he would tell the adults both theories.

 _"Our plans are moving well, Master. Soon Gary Potter will be in your grasp. I deeply apologize once again for not bringing him to you. Should we do something for the World Cup?" the balding madman asked as he moved the chair, changing the subject as to not be punished for his miss –again._

 _The small form within settled more comfortably now that it was warmer. "I think not," the figure said as he rubbed his little stubby fingers over his chin. "There will be too much security. They will be checking everyone there. No, we will proceed as planned. Gary Potter will be ours by the end of the next school year and I will rise again. My faithful servant at Hogwarts will make sure of that," there was amusement in that voice now._

 _"Of course, My Lord."_

 _A large snake slithered into the room and communicated with the being in the chair. "Nagini has news, Wormtail. She tells of a Muggle in the hall. Invite him in," the Dark Lord said softly._

 _Peter swiftly moved to the door and threw it open. He grabbed the old man listening there and drew him roughly into the room. He threw the man in front of the chair and once more stood by his master's side._

 _"Did you hear everything, Muggle?" Voldemort asked nonchalantly._

 _"What's that you're calling me?" the old man replied, grasping his walking stick as though he could use it to fight his way out._

 _"You are a Muggle, a non-wizard," was the beings response._

 _"Of course, I'm not a wizard, there is no such thing. I heard enough to get the Bobbies here. Killed someone already, plans to do someone else in. You are in trouble," the old man said, shaking his walking stick. "My wife…"_

 _"You have no wife, Frank Bryce. I know all about you and you are just an old man that lives here alone and shunned by the town folk. No one will listen to you," Voldemort hissed still facing the fire._

 _"And you're a coward. Face me like a man," Frank bellowed to the back of the chair._

 _"You heard the man, Wormtail, turn me around so that this Muggle can face Death," the figure said with a dry chuckle._

 _A wicked smile went across the man's face as he grabbed hold of the chair and turned it around._

 _Frank shuddered in revulsion at the looks of the red-eyed baby that talked like an adult. This wasn't normal; it could only be the work of the devil in the capture's eyes. Upon thinking this, the old man screamed in fear when the baby lifted its arm and aimed a stick at him. He just knew he was damned. A green light flashed and the man fell dead. A haunting laughter filled the air._

Many miles away, Harry Potter woke yelling in denial, making the whole family piled into his room, wands at the ready, looking for danger. When they saw he was alone they went to find out what happened and if he was okay.

"Sweetie, what happened," Lily said, running her hands through her child's soaked hair.

"Voldemort," Harry gasped out. The dream was too real; it had to be a vision of some sort. To know that Voldemort was close was not inspiring.

"What about him?" James asked, sitting next to Harry on the bed.

"He and Wormtail are planning something. Something to do with Gary. They said something about a faithful follower at Hogwarts and plans for the end of the school year. They murdered someone named Bertha Jorkins. They said they got information out of her and then they killed her." Harry stated as he sat up in his bed. "I think that the horcrux links me to him. It was too real to be a dream. He's closer now."

"Shite," came the duo curses from James and Gary, while Lily held her son tighter and looked like she was going to grab the other one and not let go.

"I know Bertha from the Ministry. She went on vacation about two weeks ago. She's late coming back, but everyone just thought it was her usual flighty self. Are you sure she's dead?" James asked softly, not wanting to believe it was really starting again. Oh they knew it could, but hoped for more time. He only prayed they got all the _horcruxes_ , bar the one in his son.

"If this was a vision, then yeah, plus they killed a non-magical too, some bloke named Frank Bryce."

"I know that name from somewhere," Lily whispered to herself.

"Dad, I have to tell you that Peter is quite crazy. You should have seen the look in his eyes when that happened. It was almost orgasmic. I don't think he'll see reason," Harry said, looking his father in the eye. They had hoped to be able to talk the man back to prison, but that bit of information negated that.

"Damn," was all Prongs said at the loss of hope. "Harry, this is important, do you know where he's at?"

"No, it as an old building and I'm pretty sure it was non-magical, since it had a non-magical caretaker, but that's all I know," the teen stated, going over in his mind what he did see. "Maybe we can look up the name, how many Frank Bryces can there be?" he looked at his mum, who only shrugged.

"Alright, that's a start," his dad said, patting his shoulder and started pacing.

"We need to start making plans. That lunatic will stop at nothing to get Gary," Harry said, trying to get out of bed.

"We will, we'll call everyone together in a few days," Lily said, helping him up by standing. "You know this means you can't go to the World Cup." Protests from all three men started immediately. "NO! I'm not taking the chance," she shouted over the top of them.

"But, Mum, Voldemort said they weren't going to do anything for the Cup. Wormtail asked him about it and he said the security would be too tight. Please, Mum, this was supposed to be the only time me and Gary got out of the house," Harry pleaded with big doleful eyes, the hardest he exhibited a few moments ago was replaced by the fourteen year old he was.

"Yeah, Mum, we've been cooped up for weeks, don't take this away," Gary also made his plea with an identical look.

"Lily, there are going to be thousands of witches and wizards there. The boys will stay with me and the guys the whole time. Besides, you could change your mind and join us," James said, trying to make his wife see reason.

"I'll think about it," was all she offered.

The three males groaned, but at least it wasn't a 'no'.

Since it was early in the morning the Potters decided to stay up. They had an early breakfast and talked about mundane things. Everyone was on edge, this was big. If Voldemort was in the country then they were all in danger. The main problem was they couldn't take it to the Ministry, because it was a dream. James had tried to take Trelawney's second prophecy to the Minister, but Fudge brushed him off stating the woman was a fraud.

The eldest Potter was worried; he knew from working with the Wizengamot what was being planned for Hogwarts this year. He also knew that Bertha was an organizer for the event. If there was even the smallest chance that Voldemort had an agent at the school, then the boys could somehow get caught up in it. They were too young, but… thoughts were running through his head about plans to prevent it.

"Harry?" Lily said, bringing the men's attention to her. "How does your scar feel?"

"Itchy," Harry replied, rubbing said scar. It didn't feel any different, but it was scratchy.

"That's good. I was worried that the _horcrux_ would make it hurt. We're going to find a way to get that out of you," his mum said determined. "I don't want you connected to that… man. This 'dream' is too much."

"Alright, Mum, we should talk to Sally. You guys are under that vow," Harry stated as he ate his eggs.

The rest of the family nodded and finished their breakfast. They then went to the game room to watch the telly until it was late enough in the morning to call the other families. The rest of the day was spent strategizing, they needed to make sure they were safe and they wanted their friends to know just what was happening. So mirror calls and chat programs flew all day.

That night they talked to Sally. James and Lily were on one couch and Sally and the boys were on another.

"Sally," Lily began, "we need to tell the others about Harry's scar. I want it out of him," she stated firmly with folded arms and a mulish expression.

"It could save his life," Sally reiterated, tapping her finger on the table.

"It is connected to the Dork Lord," Harry butted in, looking at his dear friend. "I'm not sure I want to see in that man's head." He shook his head and shuddered.

"You could keep it and find out his plans," Death offered temptingly, which made everyone pause for a moment.

"And if he reverses it?" the older twin asked with an arched eyebrow.

"You're right. You still can't tell them about me, but I absolve you from the vow about the boys," Sally said with a wave of her hand, yet a frown on her face as if this was something she was loath to give up. She understood their worries, but if one hint got out to the public about Harry's scar it could be disastrous.

"I don't see why you're apprehensive. They've all taken a vow," Lily said, cocking her head to the side.

"There are always ways around vows, but you trust them, so, if you must, let them know," the teenage looking deity huffed.

"We'll be careful," James said with a placated voice. They would call a meeting soon and hopefully this would be over before it progresses further.

 **Hphphp**

 _I made up the toy and jewelry store's names. There isn't any in Hogsmeade, which is kind of silly, what with kids of every age in the castle._

 _Once again I state that Peter is OOC, and to answer what is sure to be asked, yes he grabbed the wrong twin by mistake. Remember all the twins in this story are identical, which is a tiny bit farfetched, but not really. There were three sets of identical twins in my school, including me and my sister, so not so unrealistic._


	31. The Quidditch World Cup

**Chapter 31 The Quidditch World Cup**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own. Remember the rewrite is not betaed.**

 **Hphphp**

 ** _August 10, 1994 Potter Manor_**

It was two days later that they got everyone together. Adults and children filled the largest dining room. The ever present nibbles were on the table. James could hear people talking about what could be important now. There was an underlying fear and worry from almost everyone. He, his wife, and his children had only told them it was important and that it had to do with Tom.

James stood and the room quieted. "Thanks once again for taking time to come," he said sincerely with a huge smile. Then his face turned sober. "We have some really disturbing news. Harry had a dream a few days ago, we believe it was real. Voldemort might be back in the country. He doesn't have a body; so to speak," he hurriedly added at the gasps. Parents were clutching their kids and looking worried. "We're not sure if he has possessed a child or is a construct. We believe he is still weak at this time. However, if Harry's dream is correct, he plans on having an agent sneak into Hogwarts, kidnap Gary and use him to regain his body."

There were gasps of fear and denial to sound around the table. The Potters had told everyone ages ago that this might happen, and while they believed them, there was always hope that it wasn't true.

Suddenly a voice spoke above the crowd. "Wait a minute, why is Harry having dreams about You-Know-Who?" Mr. Davis asked with a quirked eyebrow at the two boys in question, who just looked blankly back.

"Harry is the Boy-Who-Lived" James said bluntly, bringing the attention to him. "He's the person we're trying to remove the _horcrux_ from. We think that is why he is having these dreams." His face was full of relief to finally be able to tell his friends, but his shoulders slumped as he waited for the outcry.

"We wanted to tell you, but we were under a vow," Lily said gently, making a what-could-we-do motion with her hands.

Harry and Gary shared a look with their friends. Each reacted as their personality dictated some smiled, others shrugged, there even a few who shook their heads sadly with understanding eyes, which confused the boys. Where was the anger and the accusations?

"We figured as much," Wayne Sr. said with and indulging smile. "We just wanted to make sure."

"What? How did you know?" James asked flabbergasted as he sat up in his chair.

"Well, the _parseltongue_ was a big giveaway," Mayur said with a small smirk. "Then the worry you showed when you want to find the removal spell." He shrugged his shoulder as if it was obvious.

"I would've thought that you understood that we are all in this together," Daphne piped up from her mother's side as she got up, went to her boyfriend, took his hand, and gave it a squeeze. "Stupid boys," she said giving him a small swat on the shoulder.

Susan followed suit, only with Gary. The younger twin looked at Madam Bones, who glared at him, but gave a curt nod. There was a promise in her eyes that they would… talk.

"You mean you kids knew too?" Lily asked in just as much shock at her husband. There were still worried faces seen, but no one seemed surprised about Harry being the boy hero.

"Did you really think we didn't talk to each other?" Mrs. Godfrey asked with a lifting of her eyebrows.

"We got together many times to discuss things that we were worried about. When you told us you were under a vow, we decided to meet without you so you wouldn't break it," Xeno said, looking around the table for confirmation. Nods were seen and the Potters relaxed.

"So now what?" Sirius asked, just glad there wasn't any major fallout.

"We do what we always do, search for answers and protect the children," Wright said, disregarding the protest from the teens that they didn't need protection and they weren't children.

"I think a new crystal is in order," came the dreamy voice of Luna.

"What do you have in mind, moonbeam?" her father asked, when he noted her vacant expression.

"The public needs to have confidence in itself, so a morale boosting crystal might be what they need. Judging from earlier, some of us could use it as well," she said, looking at the worried faces.

"That's a wonderful idea. You kids can work on that while we continue to search for the removal spell," Lily said full of hope for her eldest son.

"Yeah we can do that later," said son said, beaming at the little blonde.

"Let's lighten up for a bit," Sirius said, never one to let things stay serious for long. "How many of you have found your animal?"

Five hands rose from the kids and three from the adults. Lots of disappointed faces were seen on the teens' faces, they had all hoped to be an _Animagus_.

"So that's Harry, Gary, Ellie, Michael and Mandy for the kids. Not surprising at all really. Wren, Keaton and Wayne for the adults," James counted, happy to see that his boys took after him and not Lily, who didn't have a form.

"Junior might still be able to, he just has a hard time meditating," Wayne Sr. said, patting his embarrassed son on the back.

"That's right," Remus said his teacher's voice.

"So, Gary what are you?" Susan asked. She had been curious about his form since he told her he was something small.

All faces turned to the boy in question. "I'm a snidget," the younger twin said proudly.

Jaws fell open. "But… but… that's a magical creature," Lily said gobsmacked.

James took a minute and then looked proud. "I knew you were powerful," he said, getting up and hugging his youngest son.

"What about you, Harry?" Daphne asked concerned about the blank look on his face.

"I am a Grim. Not a dog like Padfoot, but a real Grim," he said seriously. He had been shocked to discover this, Sally wasn't surprised though.

"Well, ummm, well, that's great," James sputtered. It was still a magical creature, but one with a Dark history. His boy never seemed to catch a break.

Sirius turned quickly to Ellie. "What about you, my dear," he asked the shy Hufflepuff.

"I am a cat," she said softly.

"Michael? Keaton?"

Keaton nodded to Michael and let him answer. "Well, I'm a raccoon and Dad is an elk," he said.

"Mandy? Wren?" Sirius asked, turning to the Brocklehurst women.

"I'm a screech owl," Mandy said. Happy she was a bird.

"And I'm a tiger," her mother chimed in.

"So that leaves Wayne Sr.," Remus said, turning to the last _Animagus_.

"I am a humming bird," the man replied. "Not as good as a snidget, but I'll still be able to get into tight places." He nodded to Gary, who was still beaming proudly.

"That might come in handy in the future," Lily said soberly, thinking about war.

"Right," Sirius said, clapping his hands together, and drawing everyone's attention to him. "Now all you need is the potion. Remus and I can whip some up tonight, and you guys can come back tomorrow. We'll get you flying or running, as the case may be."

Remus nodded and the two bent together to make plans to get together that night.

"The rest of you don't feel left out, like Wayne Jr., you might just not have found yours yet," James offered with a smile, remembering that the four Marauders took different times to get their animals. Pettigrew, of course, was the last. "It took some of us ages to get ours," he said, echoing his thoughts.

Most of the teens perked up at that, though the parents weren't concerned. This was mostly for the kids anyway.

"Right, off you lot go, and let us make plans," Wayne Sr. said to them with a wave of his hand to Jr. So the young adults went to the game room, while the parents remained in the dining room. The teens fell into an informal gathering, where they excitedly talked about what animal they would be, while the adults got serious again.

"I have one more piece of information," James said, standing and holding up his hands. "Whether you tell your kids or not is up to you, but I made a promise not to tell any student. For some Merlin forsaken reason, the Tri-Wizarding Tournament is being held at Hogwarts this year."

The parents expressed their excitement, until James called for silence again.

"The reason we're," he pointed to himself and Lily, "worried about this is because of Harry's dream. There is a good chance someone will enter Gary's name. We know from the dream that Voldemort will have an agent inside Hogwarts. Now, we have the maps, so hopefully we'll catch him before that can happen, but the maps aren't foolproof. You all remember how hard it was to find Pettigrew."

Affirmatives and grunts of frustration were given, and then they waited for James to continue.

"I would like it if you told your children just in case Gary's name does appear," the dark-haired man stated as he ran a hand down his face. "If that happens he will need his friends at his side. I can't tell him, but his friends can." He added with a wink.

"I think we can do that," Natalie offered. Who better to tell than the girlfriends?

"Do you know where Riddle is?" Amelia spoke up for the first time. She had been going over plans in her head about beefing up the Aurors.

"We think he in a non-magical house. We know he killed a man named Frank Bryce, who Lily thinks she heard of in her research on Tom, but doesn't remember where," James explained, glancing at his wife as her brow creased with thought.

"I'll look into it," the Head of the DMLE said determined. She needed to look into Bertha's disappearance as well.

The meeting went on for another hour until they exhausted many ideas. Everyone gathered their young and went home, most to research that removal spell. If Harry was getting dreams from Voldemort it couldn't be good.

 **Hphphp**

Sirius and Remus had the eight people come to the manor the next day, they were joined by their friends, and the two Marauders handed out the potion. Soon enough animals and birds were roaming or flying in the yard. The rest of the Mutineers attempted to meditate harder after seeing the fun.

When the Potters weren't doing research, the men, including the uncles, were badgering Lily about the Quidditch World Cup. After two days of constant nagging, she finally conceded that they could go for the game only. To the game and home, that was it, no camping and no after game parties. It was more than they thought they would get out of her, so they were happy to comply. The boys were disappointed that the party was canceled, but understood their mum's fears. Mostly, well as much as teenage boys could understand.

 ** _August 21, 1994 Potter Manor_**

The Potter twins were excited; tomorrow they would finally get out of the house and go to the Quidditch World Cup. Their dad had gotten a box that held twenty-five people so only the most sports driven would be attending with them. Daphne and Astoria declined, which disappointed Harry, but he took it well knowing his girlfriend didn't like sports. Susan was going and she was excited about it.

The Mutineers decided, after their parents informed them about the tournament, that they would be more diligent in guarding Hogwarts this year. None of them wanted either Gary's or Harry's name to come out of whatever was used to pick the champions. They had taken the fact that Harry was the Boy-Who-Lived with as much decorum as the parents had. In other words, they already suspected.

Lily was still looking up spells, but now she was turning to the Internet for exorcisms to see if they could be combined with wizarding spells. She was actually very hopeful that she had found one and wanted to go over it with her research team while the boys were at the Cup.

Harry went to sleep that night and once again was drawn into a dream.

 _The house was the same, dusty and dark place as the first dream. Harry looked around to see if there was anything that could help pinpoint where, but the walls were bare and the only furniture was the chair that the creepy homunculus was sitting in. He did note that this was the same room as before, only there were three people this time._

 _"Master," Wormtail said tentatively as he milked Nagini, "I believe I have found a slight flaw in our plans." He took the snake away from the jar and set her down carefully._

 _"You dare," the small homunculus hissed as its red eyes burned into the man's head._

 _"Forgive me, Master; it's not your planning that has the weakness. It's a tool the blood-traitors may have that might lead your agent to being discovered," the rat hurriedly explained as he put the jar near the cauldron._

 _"And what tool might this be, Wormtail?" Voldemort asked in a silky voice that could talk the birds out of the trees, were it not laced with malice._

 _"A map of Hogwarts, and one of Hogsmeade I think. I cannot be sure of the village, but we made the one to the school in our fourth year. It shows the names of all who are in the castle," Wormtail said as he blended the venom with a potion. "James is sure to have passed his invisibility cloak down, if it still functions," he added thoughtfully in almost a whisper, as if he didn't believe the artifact was working._

 _"Very good, Wormtail, I am pleased you brought this up to me before we executed our plans. Tell me what this map does," the being purred from his place in the chair as the snake slid up to him to be petted. He dismissed the cloak, if the blood-traitor had it in school it was more than likely defunct now._

 _"As I said, My Lord, it shows all who are in Hogwarts, be they polyjuiced or_ Animagus _. There are very few ways to fool the map. I believe it's one of the reasons I could not get close to the boy last year. Perhaps your agent should be ever diligent in Hogsmeade as well. As far as I could figure any map they have of the village ends at the caves. He might be able to hide there." He stirred the concoction and then put it in a cup for his master._

 _"Yes, that may explain it," the baby-like creature said as it turned its head to the other man, who kneeling next to his chair. "My agent, we must make other plans. We know the wolf will keep his position so you must find someone else to impersonate. If Wormtail is correct then you will not be there the whole year. You must get into the castle and put Gary Potter's name in the cup. How you get his signature I will leave to you. Don't get caught, my loyal follower."_

 _The man, who was as skinny as the diminished Pettigrew, had a narrow face; it was all angles and bone. His hair was messy and his nose was long, though not as long as Snape's or Dumbledore's. His tongue flickered much like a snake's. He lifted his head, and looked adoringly at the Dark Lord. "Your word is my command," he said with absolution._

 _"Very good…."_

Harry woke with a curse on his lips. He was that close to finding out the name of the spy. He cast a tempus and saw it was only four in the morning. Since he didn't wake screaming this time, none of his family was up. He rose from the bed, went to his desk and immediately wrote his dream down. His scar itched again.

He was in a bit of a quandary, should he tell his mum or not? He knew if he told her when she woke, she wouldn't let him go to the World Cup. He really wanted to go, but he didn't want to lie to his mum. Maybe he would give her this right when the portkey took off or at least let her know about it, or…

"Hey, Sally," the teen called into the night.

"What's up, Harry," the cute teenage girl said as she appeared out of the shadows. She was now dressed in tight jeans and a ruffled blouse. She looked like any of the other female Mutineers. Her hair was still in pigtails and her face was cute as button.

"I had another dream about Voldemort. I wrote it all down, but if I tell Mum she won't let us go to the Cup today," he said, rubbing the rest of the sleep out of his eyes. "So I was wondering if you could let her know about it after we leave," he requested with big puppy dog eyes.

"Harry James Potter, you want to use me as a _messenger_?" she said with a hand on her hips and a glare in her eyes.

Harry could see however it wasn't a real glare. "Ummm, yeah."

"Fine, but only this once, and only because I know you boys have been cooped up all summer," Sally said as she made her way over to him. She put out her hand and he gave her the note.

Harry chuckled good-naturedly; he knew she would do this for him. "Thanks, Sally. You're the best," he said with a brilliant smile.

"Are you going back to bed?" the deity asked as she sat cross-legged on the bed, handing him his letter back.

"Nay, the rest will be up soon," he answered with a shrug as he folded the parchment and then addressed it to his mum.

"Tell me more about the dream, and what the Dork Lord looks like, and how he sounds," she said, settling in. "I can get my spies to watch for him."

"Well, there isn't much, mostly that they know about the Marauders' Map, plus the one of Hogsmeade, and that they were going to wait until the night of the drawing. They still think that Gary is the Boy-Who-Lived. Voldemort is a homunculus, and not a baby, thank Merlin. He has a flat face, no nose and red eyes. He is really creepy. They are keeping him alive with a potion and snake venom. He seems pretty weak, but I won't underestimate him, since his mind seems completely intact. He sounds like the epitome of evil, with a soft and silky voice that will tempt you to sin," the messy-headed teen said, staring vacantly at the wall, trying to recall everything he could about what the three men had discussed.

"That is good news and bad," Sally said when he had looked at her indicating he was done. "I mean, his weakness is probably because of the destruction of the horcruxes. But, I wouldn't be too sure about his mind being intact. I think that what you need to watch out for is madness. Crazy people do desperate things, so you are wise not to underestimate him." She nodded with a thoughtful look.

"Yeah," was all Harry said also deep in thought.

They both sat, thinking until they heard the rest of the family start to stir. Once Gary was up Harry mentally told him about his dream and the letter he left for their mum. Gary agreed it was the best course of action.

 **Hphphp**

Most of the Mutineers left early that morning, but the twins weren't allowed to go until right before noon, which was close to the time the game would start. That would give them a few hours to buy souvenirs and chat with their friends. So they moped around the house until it was time.

"Alright you guys, it's time to go!" James shouted from the front door. The twins, who had been eating in the dining room, shot out of their seats and ran to the door. They had to take a portkey from outside the wards. Their dad had to get one specifically made just for them, because they were arriving so late.

"Behave and stay out of trouble!" Lily yelled at the retreating men, who were making their escape while they could.

"We will, Mum!" the twins yelled back.

The three Potter men all but ran to the end of the long walkway and exited the gate. James held out a rusty tin can and the boys grabbed a hold and waited a minute until it activated. After the whirlwind ride, they landed in a greeting area.

"Ah, the Potters, glad yer could join us," a grumpy man said insincerely. The unnamed man looked very put out to have to come and greet someone so late.

"Thanks for waiting for us," James said politely, hold out his hand to the unkempt man in front of him.

"I were told to direct yer to the 'opkins tent; it's at the end of the campsite, row 2b," the man all but growled as he pointed in the general direction of the tents, and ignored the hands, which dropped.

"Thanks again," the eldest Potter said curtly with a nod of his head, and he started walking. His boys followed and they made it to the entrance of the campsite, and let the man know they were just visiting someone and would be leaving before the night was over. The attendant nodded his head and gave more direct instructions to the Hopkins tent.

The camping area was a complete mess, with many older wizards and witches running around in colorful robes or out of style clothes. They weren't even making the effort to blend in. However, the younger generation was wearing much more modern attire. Like the Potters the kids and young adults were clothed in shorts and t-shirts, some with weird sayings on them, but most plain.

The tents were also a mix of the age gap. You could tell some were wizard tents from the moving patterns and the too tall annexes. Cauldrons were set up with stews and potions, and they were stirring themselves. Officials were handing out reprimands, and citations, left and right. On the other hand, there were much more conservative tents that looked non-magical. They were in muted colors with regular campfires that had grates and pots set upon them. These campfires were manned by a younger person, who looked like they were nothing more than a regular camper.

Many people waved at the Potters as they walked by, they returned the waves with calls of 'Can't stop, sorry,' or some variation of that. They quickly walked to the Hopkins tent and soon enough saw Wayne Sr. sitting outside stirring a pot of beef stew.

"Hello, James, boys. Junior is getting some water and will be right back. Have a seat and I'll serve you up some stew," he said, directing the men to the chairs around the fire.

"No thanks, Mr. Hopkins," the twins said, "we just ate." But they did take a seat and waited for their friend, or any of the other Mutineers to show.

Wayne Sr. shook his head at the twin speech; he never got used to that. He raised the ladle in a silent question to James, who sat and held out a bowl to receive some delicious smelling stew.

Mutineers, mostly boys and Susan, dropped by and greeted the twins. They sat and talked for a while until the uncles dropped by. "James, since we know where everything is, how about me and Moony take the boys to go and buy some trinkets?" Sirius asked, looking at his poor godson, who was looking longingly at the booths that he could just see peeking from the tents.

"That's a good idea, but remember be back here in one hour. The games starts at two," James said, putting his empty bowl on the ground next to him and reaching in the large side pocket of his cargo shorts for his coin purse. He took out ten Galleons and hand it to the boys. "Buy something for yourself and your mum," he commanded in a mocking voice.

"Sir, yes, Sir," the boys mocked back, standing and giving a jaunting salute.

James just chuckled, and waved them and their friends away.

They bought some Omnioculars, a foam shamrock for their mum, and magical action figures that could walk of their favorite players. Harry bought Viktor Krum and Gary bought Aidan Lynch, opposite seekers.

"I can't believe you bought Lynch, that man sucks," Harry said, laughing at his brother.

"I have to support my team," Gary defended himself with a glare, and then smirked. "At least my team made it to the World Cup."

Harry, of course, had to defend his team. "Hey, they were close. it's not their fault that their seeker was out that day." He poked his brother in the chest.

"You two, stop it," Susan said sternly, yanking Gary's hand before he could retaliate. "We're here to have fun, not argue."

"Let's go back to the tent. It's almost time," Sirius said, grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him away from his brother. There were very few things that the boys argued about, but Quidditch was one thing they could never agree on.

They made it back to the tent and saw the fire was out and the chairs were put away. James and Wayne Sr. were waiting for them. "Ready to go?" their dad asked.

"Yeah," the two disgruntled boys said.

James looked to Sirius, who mouthed "Quidditch."

The eldest Potter nodded in understanding and got between his sons. "Let's go then," he said and led the way to the woods.

The woods were dark and lanterns lit the dirt path. They could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them, shouts and laughter, snatches of singing. The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious. They walked through the wood for twenty minutes, talking and joking loudly, until at last they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium. Though they could see only a fraction of the immense gold walls surrounding the field, Harry could tell that ten cathedrals would fit comfortably inside it.

"The Ministry has been working all year to get this up," James said almost proudly then he sighed. "They had to put up hundreds of Muggle repelling wards. This campsite has lost tons of money while they worked. Hikers were turned away by the wards, when they discovered that they couldn't go more than a mile from their sites, they demanded refunds." He shook his head at the casual way the magical government dismissed the plight of the business they were damaging. "However, I do have to say that the Ministry is making everyone pay for the time they are here, so that might make up the damage. Still the grounds almost closed before today."

They made their way to the entrance and handed over their tickets. "Up the stairs," the ticket collector said.

The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. Their party kept climbing, and at last they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a VIP box set at one of the highest points of the stadium, and situated partway between the golden goal posts. About twenty-five purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows.

"Everyone, grab a seat," Sirius said joyfully as he ran like a child to one of the seats in the middle of the front row.

The rest of the group did as suggested and soon enough the chairs filled, with the Mutineers mostly in the front and the taller parents in the back.

A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again; watching it, they saw that it was flashing advertisements across the field.

They all settled and chatted until they heard a booming male voice say. "Ladies and gentlemen … welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans — A Risk With Every Mouthful!) and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

The voice who Sirius said was someone named Ludo Bagman then announced the Bulgarian mascots. "And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce … the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

A hundred beautiful women filled the stadium and started to dance. The faster they danced the more the men seemed to go into a dazed trance, faster and faster the women went. The boys of the booth started to edge closer and closer to the railing to get as close as they possibly could to the women dancing. Just as most of them were about to put a leg over the rail… the dancing stopped. Angry voices of many men filled the stadium.

"What was that?" Harry asked, vaguely disappointed that the women stopped. Then he blushed and remembered his girlfriend.

"Those, my dear son, were Veelas," James smirked. He was unaffected by the women and had held tight to the men around him to keep them in their seats. He wasn't surprised that the boys were affected: they were only teenagers — hormones will do that.

Before the teens could ask what a Veela was, Ludo's voice filled the air again.

"And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air … for the Irish National Team Mascots!"

Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, and then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd oooohed and aaaaahed, as though at a fireworks display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it — gold coins. Lining the field on the Irish side were Leprechauns.

"Don't bother collecting those, it's Leprechaun Gold," Wayne Sr. said with a smile. "It'll disappear soon enough"

The teens groaned, but put down the gold they had gathered.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome — the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you — Dimitrov!"

A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.

"Ivanova!" A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out.

"Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand — Krum!"

Harry, Wayne Jr and Spencer cheered along with the Bulgarians.

"And now, please greet — the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yelled Bagman. "Presenting — Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand — Lynch!"

Seven green blurs swept onto the field; the word "Firebolt" on each of their brooms and you could see their names, embroidered in silver, upon their backs.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

Once the announcements were over the teams flew to the middle of the pitch. Mostafa kicked the wooden crate he'd been carrying and released the four balls within.

The game started with Bagman's voice going over every play. "Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" screamed Bagman. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"

This was one of the fastest games the Mutineers had ever seen. The players were going so fast that they had a hard time keeping up with them with their Omnioculars on normal, but they didn't want to miss anything by slowing them down.

"TROY SCORES!" roared Bagman, and the stadium shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers. "Ten zero to Ireland!"

Gary, Neville, Terry, Michael and Susan cheered with most of the parents. The crowd roared and shamrocks were waved around.

And within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the green-clad supporters. The match became still faster, but more brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves; twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria's first goal.

"Hands over your ears," James shouted as the Veelas got up to dance for the score.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova — oh I say!" roared Bagman.

One hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the center of the Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from airplanes without parachutes. Harry followed their descent through his Omnioculars, squinting to see where the Snitch was, but at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

"It's time-out!" yelled Bagman's voice, "as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!"

"Yes," Harry said, pumping his hand in the air. "A perfect Wronski Feint. Take that," he said to his brother, who was complaining with the rest of the Irish supporters.

"Do I need to separate you boys?" James asked sternly.

"You just might have to. Hey, Spencer and Terry change seats with me," the older twin said as he got up from his seat, he knew his limits. The two boys complied, and the group discussed the game so far, until the Irish Seeker could play again.

Lynch was back on the field and after fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals. They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game was starting to get dirtier.

As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her. Whatever happened was over so quickly Harry didn't catch it, but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told him it had been a foul.

"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing — excessive use of elbows!" Bagman informed the roaring spectators. "And — yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!"

The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words "HA, HA, HA!" The Veela on the other side of the field leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again.

All the men in the Potter party stuffed their fingers into their ears. Susan, who hadn't bothered, was soon tugging on Gary's arm. He turned to look at her, and she pulled his fingers impatiently out of his ears.

"Look at the referee!" she said, giggling. He looked down at the field.

Hassan Mostafa had landed right in front of the dancing Veela, and was acting very oddly indeed. He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache excitedly.

"Now, we can't have that!" said Ludo Bagman, though he sounded highly amused. "Somebody slap the referee!"

A mediwizard came tearing across the field; his fingers stuffed into his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard in the shins. Mostafa seemed to come to himself; Gary, watching through the Omnioculars again, saw that he looked exceptionally embarrassed and had started shouting at the Veela, who had stopped dancing and were looking mutinous.

"And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!" said Bagman's voice. "Now there's something we haven't seen before. … Oh this could turn nasty. …"

It did: The Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, landed on either side of Mostafa and began arguing furiously with him, gesticulating toward the leprechauns, who had now gleefully formed the words "HEE, HEE, HEE." Mostafa was not impressed by the Bulgarians' arguments, however; he was jabbing his finger into the air, clearly telling them to get flying again, and when they refused, he gave two short blasts on his whistle.

"Two penalties for Ireland!" shouted Bagman, and the Bulgarian crowd howled with anger. "And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms … yes … there they go … and Troy takes the Quaffle …"

The game got downright nasty from there; fouls were called almost every minute. The Veelas and the Leprechauns started fighting and the Ministry had to break them up. Harry groaned when Krum got smashed in the face with a bludger.

"Look at Lynch!" Gary yelled. For the Irish Seeker had suddenly gone into a dive, and Gary was quite sure that this was no Wronski Feint; this was the real thing. …

"He's seen the Snitch!" Spencer shouted. "He's seen it! Look at him go!"

Half the crowd seemed to have realized what was happening; the Irish supporters rose in another great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on … but Krum was on his tail. How he could see where he was going, Harry had no idea; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him, but he was drawing level with Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again —

"They're going to crash!" shrieked Susan.

"They're not!" roared Terry.

"Lynch is!" yelled Harry.

And he was right — for the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry Veela.

"He's got it — Krum's got it — it's all over!" shouted Harry.

Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand.

The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd, who didn't seem to have realized what had happened.

Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight.

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH — BUT IRELAND WINS — good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

Everyone in the booth except Harry, Wayne Jr, Spencer and a few of the parents cheered.

"Why do you think he caught the snitch, Harry?" Spencer asked.

"They were never going to win. He just wanted to end the game," the dark-haired boy answered with a shrug. He could understand it, but he didn't have to like it.

"Let's wait until the crowd lets up then we have to go," James said. They had made a promise to Lily after all. "No complaints," he said firmly at the puppy dog eyes that were coming in to play. The twins sighed and nodded their heads. So as they waited they said their goodbyes and when the crowds had thinned they went to the portkey site and went home.

All in all it was a great game so they couldn't really complain, until they got home to an angry Lily.

 **Hphphp**

As the Potter men walked toward the house, Harry started getting a bad feeling. A niggling was tickling his mind, something he was supposed to remember, and something that was going to take away his good mood. He stopped dead, all the blood drained from his face. He looked to his brother to see Gary looking at him with wonder for a minute, and then he too paled and stood still. Both boys turned to the house with twin looks of horror.

"What's gotten into you guys?" James questioned, after he noted they stopped. He was still feeling excitement from the great game.

"Mum," they intoned together with a great deal of dread lacing their voices.

"What about her? Did you guys prank her before we left?" James said coming slightly down from his game high. Lily was never in a good mood if she had been pranked and had no one to vent too.

"Worse," came the duo answer. The twins looked at their dad now and tried to convey just how bad it was going to be with the looks upon their faces.

James looked at his sons and when he saw their drawn faces and that they were truly scared to go to the house, he said, "You better tell me what you did, and I'll see if I will side with you or your mum."

"I had one of those 'dreams' last night, but I didn't want to miss the Cup, so I wrote it down and had Sally tell mum where the letter was —after the game started," Harry explained hurriedly.

"Let me get this straight, you had one of those dreams?" Harry nodded. "You didn't want to miss a Quidditch game, granted the biggest game of the year, nevertheless, still a game?" Harry nodded again, this time a little sheepishly. "So you wrote it down and had Sally, of all people, tell your mum where it was… after the game started?" Harry opened his mouth to defend himself, but stopped when James raised his right hand. "I'll help, only because I understand, and only after she's yelled at you for at least five minutes," he said firmly.

The twins looked at each other and then at their dad and nodded. At least one of their parents understood the need to get out every now and then. Besides, it was the Quidditch World Cup, how often would one of their teams make it? They shared a look and decided that five minutes of yelling was worth it. How bad can it be?

It was worse, Lily didn't yell, she stood there with her arms crossed and an extremely angry and disappointed look on her face. Her big green eyes were narrowed as she looked at her two contrite sons. Her jaw tightened as she remembered the fear she felt when she read the letter. "Just why didn't you boys answer you mirrors?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"We didn't hear them," Gary said, taking her anger off his brother. "The noise in the stadium was very loud. I doubt we would have heard them even if you were yelling." He looked to his dad to back him up.

James nodded his head in confirmation, but still stayed silent, standing behind the boys.

"Okay, I'll buy that. Harry James Potter, explain," she said forcefully. She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and brandished the letter to her oldest son.

"Mum, you know we love you, right?" She nodded her head with a small furrowing of her brow. "We put up with you keeping us in the house for the whole summer, with little complaint." The confused look deepened, Lily didn't like where he was going with this. "We could've whined and complained; we could've stomped around the house and ignored you. There were lots of ways we could've shown you that we didn't agree, but we love you, so we didn't. However, I knew if I told you about this dream, you would've kept us home for the _one_ _day_ we wanted to go out. That's why I didn't tell you." He lifted his eyes to look at his mum, showing her the look of defiance that had been missing all summer.

"He has a point, Lily. I know if my parents had made me stay at the Manor for the summer, I would've made their lives hell," James spoke up, even though it hadn't been five minutes. He had to agree, their sons behaved better than most teens would have.

"That explains why he left the letter. I don't like it. I'm still angry. I want to punish you …" she bit out, fuming that Harry had a logical reason for his actions, but still angry at the fear she felt all day and wanting to strike at something. Lily slashed her hands in the air and got back to the reason she was mad to begin with. "The point is you left to go to a _sporting event_ , when you knew about information that we needed to have. We could have called a meeting and discussed plans…"

"No, Lily, we couldn't have," James said firmly, interrupting her tirade. "Most of the parents and children were already at said event and had been for days. You're being unreasonable if you think they should have thrown away their chance to see the biggest game of the decade, because of a dream. The whole group has been on edge trying to help us. They are, however, not at our beck and call." He looked at his wife, chin raised, arms folded and a defiant look in his eyes.

"For your information, I did have a meeting—" Lily said defensively as she turned to face her husband.

"With someone who doesn't like Quidditch," he said back firmly, figuring she met with Albert.

"—about," she continued as if he hadn't spoke, "a couple of spells to get rid of the horcrux in Harry's scar."

"Which could have waited until tomorrow" her husband rebutted. "Look, Lily, we get you want to get everything done right away, but it shouldn't be at the cost of people's home life. Everyone needs a day off. You need a day off, but no matter how we try, you won't take one. It's not fair for you to demand us to do the same," James said, running a hand down his face.

"James…" she started to argue.

"No," he said as he gestured to the silent boys, "Harry's correct. They've been far better behaved than anyone else would have. I think they've suffered enough, so I am putting my foot down and saying that Harry will not be reprimanded for going to the game." He turned to the twins and said, "Go and change, then call you friends and talk about the game." He waved to the stairs and shooed them away.

The twins took off like a shot, glad someone else was willing to face an angry Lily. They did as suggested and kept their conversations to the Cup. They did tell everyone they had other news, but didn't want to talk about it right now.

Lily and James argued for almost an hour, until she finally vented enough to see reason. She agreed that as soon as the _horcrux_ was out of Harry, she would take a day with the girls.

When the special edition of The Daily Prophet showed up depicting the chaos that happened at the Cup, the fight almost started all over again. It did start mirror calls that lasted into the night to make sure everyone from the group was okay.

According to the article the parents made a good showing of themselves, by standing up and fighting the Death Eaters, surprisingly it seemed a lot of the campers did as well. The Hopkins men were credited with saving the camp manager and his family. The Mutineer teens that were still on the camping grounds were given the duty to guard the children in the woods. There were a few injuries, but nothing serious.

The Death Eaters got away, with emergency Portkeys. The Aurors had been late in showing up, but soon enough to _Obliviate_ the non-magicals. Amelia was pissed.

 **Hphphp**

 _I adapted most of the game from the book. I can't write sports to save my life. I thought about just cutting it out, but some of my readers like Quidditch, so I left it in. also I think I changed the date of the game, but I don't remember and my internet is being too wonky to look it up, so if I did then this is just one of those artistic license things. If not then sorry for the A/N._

 _I hemmed and hawed, stood on my head, looked at it sideways, and debated on whether to add Lily's reaction here or the start of the next chapter. I deleted it, added it, moved it and then finally left it here, making for an extra-long scene, which makes the next one smaller. But I wanted to keep here for the flow._

 _Some might think Lily is being a bit over-the-top angry. I will say that she is being mild to the way I would have reacted in my younger days._


	32. One Minion Down

**Chapter 32 One Minion Down**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own.**

 _Thanks again for all your support, the five hundred or so still reading this far. It means a lot to me that I have such a high number._

 _One more thing, because of the plot twists I let drop the first time the next few chapters have to be completely overhauled, which_ _ **might**_ _delay posting. Just thought you should know._

 **Hphphp**

 ** _August 23, 1994 Potter Manor_**

The next day the Mutineers and their families gathered in the usual dining room. They were right Amelia was highly upset at her department's tardiness. It didn't help that she couldn't find anything on Frank Bryce. She had scoured the internet, but whatever Lily had read must not have been a big enough story to hit the mainstream media, or she just hadn't looked far back enough. She typed his name in the search programs, but it was a common enough name that without a location, she was stymied there as well. She had done the same for Riddle, but that avenue came to a stop at the orphanage, and like most wizards, he all but disappeared when he attended Hogwarts. She had inquired to a few police stations in non-magical London and the surrounding areas, but so far had come up empty-handed. She wanted to ask Lily, but the woman was consumed on removing the _horcrux_ from her son. Madam Bones could understand that and decided to hold off for now.

After verifying that everyone was indeed okay, a small committee was created to do the spells on Harry's scar. Lily and James would be the primary casters. Remus would be the backup, and Gary was needed to anchor him. Mayur was going to guide the soul piece where they needed it. The Longbottoms, sans Neville, were going to be on the outside of the room. They decided to keep it as close to the prophecy people as possible would help the ritual perform better.

The group met three days later. This gave Harry enough time to meditate, fast and do a cleansing ritual. They were all dressed in a cotton floor length robes, and nothing else. The room they were using was heavily warded to prevent the soul from escaping; however, they had their friends stand guard just in case. This was Voldemort after all.

Harry was laying on a marble table, which had been brought into this room just for this ritual. He knew this was going to hurt, so he steeled himself for the pain, and waited for his mum and dad to get started. His body was tense and his eyes were clinched shut.

James stood on his eldest son's right and Lily on his left. Gary was next to James holding Harry's hand. Remus stood at the foot of the bed, ready to cast if things went sideways. Mayur stood at the prone teen's head with a necklace at the ready. It was a masculine necklace, with a rune covered silver disk about the size of an American quarter.

Lily ran her hands through her son's hair and asked, "Are you ready, sweetie?" She felt frustrated that it was such a simple spell, but it wasn't in any of the wizarding books they researched. She found it on a pagan website, along with a few other very useful spells. She still had to adapt it from its original purpose of spiritual cleansing, but now that she knew this magic she was going to do more research.

Harry simply nodded and kept his eyes shut tight.

"Okay, I know this is going to hurt, but trust us okay?"

"I do, thanks, Mum," Harry gritted out.

"Let's start," Mayur said, hoping to get the whole thing done with soon. He hated dealing with souls. Were it not for his background in India, he would not be here. That and he truly felt that he was indebted to the Potters were very good people, who deserved his help.

"Let's," Harry agreed, clinching his jaw tighter.

James and Lily lifted both arms and joined hands above the cursed boy's head and started chanting, " _Repel aliena anima_." They had to recite this thirteen times, and then the piece should free itself from the scar.

Mayur stood at the ready, the necklace hovering between their joined hands.

On the third chant the area around Harry's eyes pinched and he started tearing. When they said it seven times, his whole face strained and his jaw tightened to the point of grinding, and the grip on Gary's hand was brutal. It was the thirteenth one, which made him yell as his body arched. Harry pulled so hard on his brother's hand that Gary almost collapsed on top of him.

The youngest Potter kept his thoughts focused on keeping his brother grounded. He took as much of the pain as he could, while standing and reciting over and over through their link, " _I'm here. Stay with me. I'm here,"_ never once stopping. He felt the pull of the horcrux, and chanted louder in his brother's mind to keep him from following.

A pale grey mist rose from the very thin scar, and Mayur quickly wrapped it in a bubble spell and directed it to the necklace, which was only a few inches above the scar. " _Anima_ _ligaveris_ _,_ " he incanted once the vapor surrounded the necklace. It seemed too dissolve into the rune covered disk and everyone relaxed.

Harry almost passed out with relief. While he trusted Sally, he didn't want someone else's soul in his forehead. He'd wear the necklace, and hope that it would serve the same way the scar would have.

"That went better than I thought it would. That soul piece didn't even put up a fight," Mr. Patil said in mild disbelief. "Also the mist was almost white, and not black in nature. It was most unusual." He rubbed his chin in thought as his forehead creased with confusion.

"I'm just glad it's over," the eldest twin said, using his brother's grip to rise to a sitting position. His head felt lighter, almost muzzled as it readjusted to its _horcrux_ free state. Gary dropped his brother's hand and flexed some feeling back into his.

There was a knock on the door, Lily lifted her wand and dispelled the wards, and Frank peeked in. "All done? We heard the yelling, then nothing. When there wasn't anything trying to escape, I figured I'd better check."

"All clear," the only female Potter said with the biggest smile she had all summer. "Tomorrow, I'm going to the spa… for a week," she announced —Alice squealed and said, 'Me, too.' — "You men can take the children to Diagon Alley instead of me and the girls for once." She looked pointedly at James, who always seemed to be busy that day.

He just nodded his head in agreement and patted his sons on the back. "Well, done, guys. Why don't you go and get changed," he suggested. "We have some things we have to do, so we'll meet you in the guest sitting room."

The tired boys nodded. Harry slowly got off the table, and joined his brother at the door. "Thanks, everyone," he said wholeheartedly as he left, and then made his way up to his room. There was a bottle of Pepper-up waiting by his bed, so he took it and then changed into some dark blue shorts and a black t-shirt.

Gary came into his room, wearing much the same. "We'd better call Daphne and Susan before we do anything else. You know how girls are, if we don't we might be cut off from snogging or something," he laughed, trying to put the day behind him. His ears still rung from his brothers pained yells, and he was just now getting feeling back in his hand. He shook his hand dramatically, making Harry chuckled, which helped him feel better. "Then they can chain call everyone else," he said, pulling out his mirror and getting comfortable at the head of the bed.

The eldest twin nodded, removed his mirror from his bedside drawer and made his call from the desk. He was thankful for his brother's attempt to lighten the mood, and he knew the other boy was just joking around. They both settled in and called their girlfriends.

Needless to say both girls were relieved that they were okay, and promised they'd be over later that day. Their boyfriends had no problem with this. Soon enough the two couples got off the mirrors, and the twins went to find the adults.

The parents and uncles were where they said they were going to be, but Mr. Patil and the Longbottoms were gone. To the boys' surprise, there were two necklaces sitting on the coffee table. They looked exactly alike, and you could feel the same aura surrounding them.

"Wha…?" was the duos' shocked responses as they stood in front of the table, almost not believing how lucky they were to have such wonderful parents.

"Well, we thought that it was stupid to only protect one of you, so Mayur divided the soul in half and added the second piece to this necklace for Gary. Now, both of you will have a 'get out of jail free card'," Lily said as she beamed at her overwhelmed twins. She had made a vow when they were born that they would _always_ get the same treatment. It took her forever to find the spell that would split a _horcrux_ , that wasn't Dark. Like the exorcising spell, it was found on a pagan website and modified. Something about providing spiritual energy to someone, who's was drained.

"Oh Merlin, we didn't even think of that," the twins stated as they simultaneously fell on to the sofa.

"We didn't either, until your mum read something on the internet. Oh, we worried that only one of you would have a safeguard, but we had no idea how to fix it. Sally didn't either; she only deals with dead souls. I am just glad I have a brilliant wife," James said, and then he kiss said wife passionately. "And a wonderful friend," he added, remembering the emotional scene that played out before the man left. The parents were just so thankful, though James would deny that any tears fell from his eyes.

"This is bloody awesome," the boys were still talking at the same time, which made the adults laugh. "Please tell Mr. Patil we're grateful for his help."

"We will," Lily said as she handed each teen their necklace.

The boys took the chains, and put them on their necks. They were both just glad that the soul pieces didn't register as Dark. None of the adults could explain why, but it was a huge weight off everyone's shoulders. Sally knew, but felt it wasn't her secret to share.

 ** _A short narrative_**

Lily disappeared the next day along with most of the wives. They all kissed their husbands, and said they'd be back to see the kids off and then vanished. Mirrors were left at home and the phone number was unlisted. They all just hoped that an emergency didn't pop up, but there was a no contact policy at this spa.

The men grudgingly took the teens to Diagon Alley. The kids were happy to once again be on an outing, albeit limited to the Alley. They didn't split up like they usually did, which made for crowded shops. Madam Malkin chastised James for not giving the usual warning to the store owners.

The men mostly hung around the outsides, making sure that no one entered while the kids were getting their things. They used the excuse that the place was full, which it was, and they were waiting for it to empty. It worked like a charm. The husbands were all feeling smug that they didn't need women around to corral kids. Unfortunately, because they were outside, they didn't see what the teens were buying. Nothing _too_ bad, but the totals at the registers were high, especially at the book shop, the clothing store, and the sport place.

A very tired group of men went home that day with much lighter pockets, not feeling near as arrogant as when they started.

The women came home glowing and happy a few days before the train. Everyone was content that they were no longer biting heads off.

The train ride was just as fun as always, many of the Mutineers and their friends gathered in the same carriage. Laughter and excitement over the World Cup was heard for most of the ride, though there were some that were worried over the Death Eaters. The kids did notice that the public had stood up for themselves, unlike the last time the Dork Lord's minions plagued the magical community. They could place it all on Pandora's, and Luna's, crystals. The new crystal wasn't selling as well as the others, but it was enough that more people were not as scared as they had been.

The added bonus was that the Ministry mouth-piece, The Daily Prophet, was treated as the rag it was. Rita Skeeter lost more readers when she reported that it was all just a big hoax to scare the public and that the Ministry had it all under control. She blamed the Potters for her fall in numbers and still vowed revenge. She haunted Hogsmeade hoping to get something juicy on the Boy-Who-Lived and bring that brat down a bit. So far she came up empty-handed, people were either cautious of Lily or praising the twins for their helpfulness. She wandered the village in her human form, since they kept trying to catch her as a bug. She had no idea how they kept finding her, or how they knew she was an _Animagus_. All she knew was that every time she tried to sneak into Hogwarts, someone was there with a jar and a lid.

The Gryffindor Gossips worked their magic before they got to the school, and soon the whole train knew about the Tri-wizard Tournament and that one of the Potter twins' name might be chosen. When asked why Harry's, they said it might make the Boy-Who-Lived too depressed to fight. The Mutineers made sure to tell everyone that the twins didn't want this to happen. Most believed them, however, there were some that just scoffed and denied that the fourteen year old boys would have the knowhow to enter.

The opening feast went well, though Dumbledore was stunned that almost none of the students seemed surprised that the competition was going to take place. He blamed the Mutineers, rightfully so, but there was little he could do about it. There were many grumpy kids, who were upset that Quidditch had been canceled for the year, and they couldn't really understand why.

The weeks passed until it was time for the other two schools to join Hogwarts. The Mutineers made sure to keep a good eye on everyone in the castle, so far no one that didn't belong showed on their maps and the ghosts heard no word that anything was out of the ordinary.

Harry didn't have the dreams anymore, so he had no idea what Voldemort was up to. Gary was glad of this, he hated those dreams.

 ** _October 30, 1994_**

It was a cold and crisp autumn day, the students and staff were all outside waiting for the other two schools to show. They didn't know how they were going to arrive so the students mostly just fidgeted looking around the grounds, and looked around for something to happen.

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.

Something large, much larger than a broomstick — or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks — was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

"Don't be stupid … it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevy, causing anyone would had seen The Wizard of Oz to breakout in gales of laughter, until they were shushed by a professor.

The third year Gryffindor was almost right. It was an enormous, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, pulled by a dozen winged horses, all the size of elephants. When the carriage stopped a young boy jumped out and placed some steps at the door. A gigantic woman emerged, along with a dozen boys and girls. They were all dressed in blue uniforms and appeared to be freezing. Dumbledore greeted the woman, who must be the Headmistress, as Madame Maxime. They seemed to be old friends.

While the two Heads talked the Beauxbatons' students shivered in the Scottish cold. The twins felt sorry for them and were about to offer their cloaks, when it was decided that the chilly schoolchildren would wait in the Great Hall. Hagrid came and cooed over the winged horses as he led them away.

The Durmstrang School arrived a bit later, via the Black Lake in a large boat that bubbled up from the depths of the water. These students were dressed much warmer that the French students, and they were sturdier built. Dumbledore greeted the Headmaster much the same way he had Madame Maxime. This person was addressed as Headmaster Karkaroff; the twins didn't like him at first sight. They would do well to keep an eye on this guy. Among the Durmstrang students was Viktor Krum, much to the delight of Ron.

Everyone made their way into the Great Hall. Since it was a feast, they all sat at their House tables. Beauxbatons sat at the Ravenclaw table, and Durmstrang assembled with the Slytherins. The Mutineers made sure that all the visiting students were made welcome.

When all the guests settled Dumbledore stood. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly — guests," said the old man, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One of the Beauxbaton students sat shivering next to Harry. "Here," he said, pulling off his outer cloak, "this might help." He offered it to the girl. She smiled and thanked him as she pulled it over her uniform. The others boys at the table did the same and soon all the French pupils were covered in warm cloaks. Even the boys were grateful.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said the Headmaster. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" He then sat and started a conversation with Karkaroff.

Many of the Hogwarts students felt the same attraction they had during the World Cup, albeit much milder. One of the girls from Beauxbaton was a Veela, or at least part. Pulling themselves together, they enjoyed the feast, there were many new dishes added to the normal fare. Some of these were; Bouillabaisse, Ratatouille, Pieds paquets, Soupe au pistou, Salade Niçoise for the French students and; Pelmeni, Kholodets (or Studen'), Shchi, Okroshka for the pupils of Durmstrang.

Harry made sure to try a bit of each; it wasn't often that he got to taste non-British food. Others followed his example. The foreign students seemed pleased that Hogwarts would go out of their way to make them feel welcome. After the dessert was completed, which also had cuisine from the other schools, the plates disappeared and Dumbledore stood once more gaining everyone's attention.

"The moment has come," said the old man, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Tri-wizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket. Just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

The crowd politely clapped as each man stood, though they did clap louder for Bagman, who seemed to enjoy the attention.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Tri-wizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students.

After the glittering jeweled cup was revealed, the aged man made a big show of telling how to enter and the dangers of doing to. There were many excited and worried faces among the student body. Groans were heard when the age limit was announced and the Mutineer gang hoped that it would make their job easier. They listened politely to Dumbledore's speech, until he shooed them off to bed.

The Mutineers all looked at each other; this would be a long night. Everyone in the Great Hall stood and the Beauxbaton students were told they could return the cloaks in the morning, so they wouldn't get cold as they returned to their carriage. The gang and some friends gathered in the Entrance Hall.

"So how are we going to do this? I mean, we talked about it, but since we didn't know how the champions were supposed to be chosen we didn't really set up a schedule," Susan said as she held on to Gary's hand. Her aunt said she could date this year as long as she promised to keep it above the clothes, which she had every intention of doing, mostly.

"Me and George have the latest curfew," Fred said, from Harry's right.

"Yeah, we can stay and watch everyone until ten," George nodded in agreement.

"That would be great, guys," Harry said sincerely as he pulled Daphne close, she was tense and he was hoping to calm some of her fears.

"We can start with the Hufflepuffs, we can use the mirrors and maps until bedtime," Sally Anne said shyly. The Hufflepuff students voiced their agreement. "That way we can call you two," she pointed at the Weasley twins, "if we see anything strange."

"But, what do we do if anyone sees someone, after we're done? I mean, the twins will be in the dorms by ten," Hannah asked, a little warily. She understood how important it was, but didn't know how to stop someone from doing what they were planning.

"The mirrors at the entrance of the dorms," Mandy said with a snap of her fingers. "Call your Head of House if you see anyone that doesn't need to be out past curfew."

"Yeah, we'll keep watch in the common rooms, that way they'll be right there," Spencer said, bouncing up and down as if it was the best idea he had ever heard.

"But how are we going to convince them?" Hannah asked with a small frown.

"Tell them a ghost told you, or better yet, call out to your House ghost and tell them to run and tell a professor as you call them on the mirror," Gary suggested. "Don't forget Remus has a mirror too," he added, causing many students to relax.

"And if they ask why we're up so late?" Sally Anne asked.

"Tell them the tournament had you too excited to sleep," Gary suggested.

The Soldier floated through a few of the students, making them shiver, and looked around at the youngsters. "We will be patrolling the area, so if you call to your House Ghost they will answer," he said as he took up a parade rest pose.

"Great, we Ravenclaws can watch the maps from nine until midnight," Harry offered, his housemates nodded.

"We," Daphne said, pointing to the Slytherins, "will take the midnight to three."

"That leave the Gryffindors to take the three to six," Dean said, looking to Gary, who nodded.

"Okay," Harry said, clapping his hands together, "we have a plan. Everyone try and get some sleep. We'll all meet up at the Goblet in the morning and keep a closer watch. I have an idea for that, but we better break it up now before we're out past curfew." It wasn't the best of plans and many things could go wrong, but it was all they had.

Goodnights were said all around, and the group broke up and went to their dorms. After everyone called their parents as the Mutineers settled down for a long night.

"Hey, Mum," Gary said, smiling into the mirror. She looked much less stressed now. Her hair was fashioned and her skin was cleared. The bags under her eyes were gone and she looked radiant and healthy. He hadn't realized how ill and stressed she looked, but now he felt he had been a bad son for not noticing. He was thankful that she was much better now.

"Tell me some good news," Lily said with a return smile. "I don't want my good mood to go away," she added as she sat in the chair behind her.

"Well, we have a plan. It's not foolproof, but it's a start," he answered with a shrug, and then proceeded to tell her about their strategy, and now the names were chosen.

"You kids do your best, but leave us to handle any intruder. Your dad and some of the other fathers will be in the Shrieking Shack tonight, and they will switch off with others tomorrow," his mum said with a jaw-breaking yawn.

"Why there, and not the Library?" Gary asked with his own wide yawn.

"It's closer, silly. Besides, it has a tunnel into the grounds. Not as close as Honeydukes, but they can't very well hide out there. You must be tired to ask that, why don't you get some sleep?" she suggested gently.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I'm going to talk to Harry a bit then I'll get some," he said stifling another yawn. _"Harry,"_ he projected to his brother. _"How are we going to know who has what name on the papers they submit?"_

 _"I don't know, maybe a show of force, or have Sally read them or something,"_ his brother thought back.

Sally appeared and tapped Harry on the shoulder. He looked at her and held up a finger for her to wait a minute. She nodded and settled next to him on the couch he was sitting on in the Ravenclaw common room.

 _"Sally is here, you get some sleep. I can feel how tired you are,"_ Harry sent as he settled on his bed.

 _"Okay, tell me what she says later,"_ his twin answered, laying down and preparing for sleep. The new crystal was by his bed. He could use the morale boost.

"What's up, Sally?" the green-eyed boy asked, after he looked to make sure no one was listening or watching.

"What were you and Gary talking about?" she asked with an adorable tilt of her head. If Harry didn't have a girlfriend, or know how old the deity was, he would think she was attractive. As it was, he felt she was like a much older, very cute sister. It sort of made him glad that no one else could see her; he would hate to have to fight the boys off.

"We're worried that we won't know what the slips say. I mean, anyone could put our names in the Cup and we wouldn't even know. We've got everyone watching the maps, but what good does that do if we can't read the paper?" Harry said a bit loud, venting some frustration.

When the older students turned his way he just shook his head sheepishly and waved them away. Many just nodded back. It was getting on bedtime, so they gathered up their things, and after bidding Harry goodnight, they went to bed.

"That's a good question," Sally said, tapping her chin in thought. "I could read them for you, or have one of the other ghosts do the same."

"That would be helpful, but you said you couldn't interfere with the living," Harry said.

"And I won't, if someone has your name on the paper it will be up to you to stop them. I can only warn you."

"Oh, well damn. Did you want to train for a while? I know, I could be doing something, and my friends are all in bed getting a kip before our shift." He looked around the room and noted they were now alone.

"Okay, let's go blow off some steam." And she jumped from the couch and all but ran to the door. They spent a good hour doing just that, until Harry decided to take a nap himself. Spencer woke him up and they all went to the common room and waited. It was really boring because nothing really drastic happened until eleven.

Peter Pettigrew appeared in the Forbidden Forest.

"James Potter," he called in the mirror as soon as he saw the name.

"We see him, Harry. You keep a look out, and call Remus if you see anyone," his dad said as soon as his face appeared in the mirror. "We still don't know who the other guy is."

"I'll keep watching. Done," Harry said quickly, not wanting to impede his dad.

 ** _With the parents_**

James, Sirius, and their team, crept out of the shack, and followed the tunnel until they were in the grounds. Pressing the knot to stop the willow, they kept to the shadows, and followed the progress of Pettigrew, who was steadily getting closer to the castle. Sirius was in his Padfoot form so he reached the man first.

He swiftly made his way into the Forest and when he spotted his ex-friend, he transformed and fired off a barrage of deadly spells. He wasn't going to let him get away this time if he could help it.

Peter cackled and fired back, "You will never stop the Dark Lord," he boosted as he shot off AK's at his former friend.

"You rat bastard!" Sirius yelled as he got off some of the spells from his family library.

"Don't kill him, Sirius," Wayne called out, when they caught up. He saw the dogman cast a cutting curse that came close to hitting the fugitive's neck. "Amelia wants him alive."

With that different colored spells filled the air.

Peter shrunk and now he was a target that was small. He ran as fast as he could through the trees to get away from the men chasing it. He almost got to the end of the maps boundaries when Sirius sent a Blasting Curse to the area the rat was in and the ground blew apart under him, causing the body to be thrown in the air. He was still trying to kill the traitor, but now was trying to make it look unplanned.

Pettigrew smashed into a tree and was knocked out cold.

"Let me kill him, James," the only Black said as he stomped towards the limp rat.

"No! You'll wind up in Azkaban and we need you here," James said as he conjured a cage just big enough for the rodent.

"Sirius," said Wright as he held the grey-eyed man back, "you promised Amelia that if we could capture him, we would. Don't make it worse by breaking your word."

"Fine," the angry man said, yanking himself out of the other man's grip. "That doesn't mean I have to like it." His eyes never left the caged _Animagus_ , like he was just daring the deranged man to try and escape.

Those beady eyes looked right back at him, and if rats could Sirius would say he looked smug.

"Come on let's get out of here before Dumbledore gets here. We put on a big enough of a lightshow to attract attention and I, for one, don't want to get caught," Mr. Jackson said, tugging on James' robes.

"Yeah," the defacto leader agreed as he nodded his messy head. He then quickly looked at the map. No one was moving their way, so they made it back to the Shrieking Shack unmolested. James called Amelia and let her know they had her escaped prisoner. Derryl volunteered to take him to The Three Broomsticks. An _Impervious spell_ was cast on the cage and it was handed over. The eldest Potter called the eldest twin to let him know that they captured the traitor, and that they were keeping watch again.

 ** _Back with Harry and the Ravenclaws_**

The kids watched and saw the parents' names converge on the rat. Harry let out a sigh of relief when his dad called with the all clear. They were just getting their stuff together to let the Slytherins take over when they saw another name on the map, this time coming from the front gates.

It was Bartemius Crouch in red.

"It's going on midnight, why is he here?" Harry mused out loud. So he called his dad and informed him.

"Not much we can do about him," James said with a shrug. "As long as the tournament is here, he can come and go as he pleases. I think the only reason it is red, is because he really hates our family, and will do anything legal to take us down. I'll send Remus to keep watch."

"Okay, thanks, Dad," Harry said with a yawn, "that makes me feel better."

"Go to sleep, Harry, Daphne has already checked in. I'll be sure to call Moony and have him guard the Goblet for a while," James said, to put the boy's mind at ease.

"Okay, goodnight. Done," the tired teen said and put the mirror away. He and the rest of the exhausted kids went to bed.

 **Hphphp**

Unknown to them, the Hufflepuff soldier scared off the man hovering around the Cup, until Remus showed. Moony thanked him thoroughly, and then started his watch.


	33. The Imposter

**Chapter 33 The Imposter**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own. The rewrite is unbetaed.**

 _I noticed as I combined the chapters that the last few were very, very short. Even with me expanding them, they are still pretty small. It doesn't help that I'm taking a lot from the books out. Still, I hope you enjoy._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **October 31, 1994**_

Harry was just waking up when he got a mirror call from Daphne. "What's up, Daph?" he said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Just checking in to let you know the only weird thing that happened last night was Mr. Crouch was around the Goblet most of the night. Remus kept chasing him off though," she answered with a yawn. "I let Gary know when it was his shift, so you're going to have to ask him if he was still there later," the Slytherin girl concluded.

"Alright, thanks for telling me," the green-eyed boy said. He peered closely in the mirror and noted the how tired she looked. "You look like you need a bit more sleep. Did you take a Pepper-up?" he asked, tactlessly. He too was tired from his late night.

"Harry, you are not supposed to tell a girl when she is not looking her best," Daphne chastised with a small frown, but then waved it away. "No, I haven't taken mine yet. I will in a minute."

"Oops sorry, I'm still learning all about you girls," Harry blushed and ran his hand over his face. "I'm still knackered," he added with a yawn. He reached over and grabbed his vile of revitalizer.

The blonde Slytherin's face softened. "It's alright, Harry, I forgive you, but don't do it again." She shook her finger at him in mock disapproval.

Harry smiled. He was glad he wasn't in real trouble. "You will always be beautiful and you know it," he said slyly with an exaggerated wink, making her sigh at the lame attempt.

"You'll need to stop listening to Mr. Black and his lame puns," she said, and then gave him a smile to let him know she was only partly serious.

"Yeah you're right," he said, "So, I'll see you at breakfast. Will you be joining us or keeping the Durmstrang students company?" he asked as he wondered if it would be rude to take his Pepper-up while they talked.

"I think I had better keep an eye on our visitors. We don't want their only contact with the school to be the uppity pure-bloods," she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin and then firmly nodding decisively.

Harry nodded his agreement. While he and Draco never really got past being casual acquaintances, they didn't fight either. However, the blond Slytherins views on blood supremacy didn't bode well for good foreign relations. "Then I'll see you at lunch, beautiful. Done," he said and then put away his mirror. He took a half a dose of Pepper-up and got ready for the day, all the while talking to his brother. _"So anything happen last night… well this morning?"_

" _Yeah, that Crouch guy kept hanging around the Cup. Remus was there the rest of the night, so he didn't get near it,"_ Gary answered groggily. He would need a full dose of the Pepper-up potion in order to complete this day.

" _Did you talk to Dad?"_

" _Yeah, he told what happened with Pettigrew. It's good that they got him, and I'm glad no one got hurt,"_ the tired Gryffindor answered, only slightly miffed that he missed it. He was dog tired, as Padfoot would say.

Harry felt a surge of energy through the bond and knew that his brother had taken his potion. _"Well, we're going to have to go and make sure our names don't wind up in the Cup."_

" _Okay, let me get dressed and we'll meet in the Entrance Hall,"_ the youngest twin suggested as he swung his legs around and got off his bed.

" _See ya then, Bro,"_ Harry said as he cut the link, and then finished getting dressed. He grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and his map, and made his way to the Entrance Hall. He met up with a big group of the Mutineers. They all made their way into the room that housed the Cup.

It was a large square room off the side of the Entrance Hall with the Cup was sitting in the middle on a large golden pedestal. There were a few benches littered around the room, so people could watch who was submitting their name. Those benches were already filling up and so the gang headed to the nearest empty one. They sat and watched person after person enter their name, and only the twins could see Sally reading each parchment. She would nod to them when it was clear. The ghosts would do the same for their friends when they were in class.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Terry asked as they all settled in a circle around one of the benches. "It's Monday, and we have classes."

"It's a good thing we're all in different Houses and years. We can split up a rotation, every time you don't have class, come here and watch the cup. The ghosts are going to try and read the slips of the people entering. If they see our names on the paper, they're going to warn us and then the teachers. If you can, try and stop or stall them until a professor comes. Don't do anything that will get you hurt," Harry said as he looked over his group of friends. It was a very warm feeling to have so many people look out for him and Gary.

"We can do that. All it will take is a simple _Stupefy_. The only problem I see is if it is one of the visitors, I mean, we don't want to start an international incident," Susan said thoughtfully, thinking of all the lessons her aunt had drilled into her since she was old enough to understand.

"Yeah, that could be a problem. Try and do something less aggressive, like a _Leviosa Charm_ or something. That way they won't get hurt, but can't move forward. Or maybe stick their feet the ground, we all know that prank," Gary said, rubbing his head in thought.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, and they all pulled out their schedules and started going over who would be where, and when. Luna, Spencer, Ginny and Astoria being in third year helped. Sally's ghosts hung around the fringes listening in. when they had it all hammered out they went back to watching.

When it got closer to class time, all but two of the group headed to breakfast. It was decided that they would go to their own table this morning and most of them would meet up as the study group later. They didn't want to overwhelm their guests with too many people at once. Harry had hot cereal this morning and while he was doctoring it up, he looked to the visitors.

"Hello, I don't believe we were introduced last night. My name is Harry Potter," he said to the lovely girl sitting next to him. Her hair was long and almost white blonde. She was willowy and well put together. She was quite beautiful, as were most of the Beauxbaton girls.

"I am Fleur Delacour," she said, a bit haughtily, like she was speaking to a commoner. "You are ze bruzzer of Gary Potter?"

"Yeah, I'm his twin," Harry said with a lifting of his eyebrow. She came off as a bit stuck up, maybe it was defensive.

"I 'ave 'eard many zings about your bruzzer. Et is said zat 'e is powerful, oui?" the blond asked an eager look in her eye, which put Harry on edge. Then he felt the pull of a Veela.

" _Gary, watch out for this one. She's the Veela we felt last night, and she seems to have taken an interest in you,"_ the Ravenclaw twin sent to his brother. He felt the acknowledgement through the bond and saw his twin glance their way. "Well, I wouldn't go that far. I would say he is okay, power wise," Harry hedged.

"Maybe you are jest jealous," Fleur said with a bite to her tone. She threw her hair over her shoulder and went to turn away from the little boy.

Harry laughed, banged his hands on the table, and caused Fleur to turn her attention back to him with a confused look upon her face. "My brother and I are very close. You won't find many siblings closer than we are. There is no need for me to be jealous of Gary," he said between chuckles.

"Maybe what you say is true. We shall see, oui?" This time she did turn away and start a conversation with the French girl next to her.

Harry just shrugged and finished his meal. He wanted to be around the Cup as much as possible today. When he was done he made his way to the room, he slipped in the back, and got his Cloak out of his backpack and put it on. He took out his map and watched the cup. Sally was still there, and so far nothing was out of the ordinary. When the time came for class, he left the room, ducked behind a tapestry, and put his Cloak away. He then went to class like normal.

The eldest Potter twin's first class was History, which thankfully was still taught by Professor Watts. She waited until the class entered and settled down before going over the history of the Tri-wizard Tournament.

"Today we'll be learning about the history of the Tri-wizard Tournament. The only reason I didn't go over this before is because I wanted to wait for our visitors to come. As you can see we have guests in this class. Madame Maxime has giving her blessing for her students to attend our classes for this week, so that they can see what different types of learning there are." The Professor floated back and forth in front of the class, tapping her ever present ruler in her hand. "Some of our older years are doing the same. These visitors are in this class, because I invited them for this lecture.

Harry looked to the back of the class and sure enough there was a group of six Beauxbaton students there. They looked like they were mystified as to why a ghost was educating this class. There were also three Durmstrang students on the other side of the class; their faces were blank as they studied the teacher.

"Let us not forget our other visitors from Durmstrang," Professor Watts said with a nod to the three boys. "We should also not forget that the entire reason behind this competition is to promote International relationships. You would do well in finding people among our guests with similar interests and attempt to make friends. They could be quite helpful in understanding foreign relations that could become lifelong friends."

The visiting students looked a bit shocked at that remark. They had been told that the students of Hogwarts were not interested in making friends with foreigners. The Heads of their schools based this on the treatment they received from the British Ministry—which, needless to say, was lacking.

"Everyone, stand up," the Professor instructed. The teens complied. "Now I want you to mingle a bit and see if you have common interests. Take five minutes and ask non-invasive questions, like 'Do you like Quidditch?' then sit with the person you think you might share something with. Then I will resume the class."

They class did as they were told, tentatively. Harry went up to one of the Durmstrang boys and asked if he like dessert and what kind.

"I did enjoy the… treacle tart that vus served last night," the boy answered. "But I prefer the Kiev cake of my country," he added in a heavy accent, though his English was quite good.

"I love treacle tart," Harry enthused as he clapped the boy on the shoulder, and led him to a desk in the middle of the room with Terry shaking his head as he followed. "I think I'd like that cake you spoke of. I wonder if they will serve it tonight. My name is Harry, by the way, and this guy behind us is Terry. What's yours?"

"I am Baan," the confused boy said with a curt nod.

"Glad to meet you. We should get to know one another at lunch. You can sit at any table if you want, so you might as well join us and we'll bond over dessert," Harry said quickly as he noted their time was almost up. The three boys sat down, and turned their attention to the front of the room.

Professor Watts was tapping her ruler on her legs, anxious to get started on her lesson. "Okay, everyone, take a seat," she called over the ruckus. The students complied and they were quite a bit more mixed up then they had been previously. She then launched into a lengthy description of the Tri-wizard Tournament. How it was started between the three schools in 1294 and continued until the death of all three participants in 1792. She went over the past trials— who won and who died. She could only speculate on why it was restarted this year.

All in all it was a good class and there were many notes taken, because if there was one thing they learned in this class, is that if the professor was teaching something, there would be a test.

 _ **Meanwhile with Gary**_

Gary's first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts, with the Slytherins. They were learning about the tournament as well. They didn't have Beauxbaton visitors, but they did have three students from Durmstrang. Remus, or Professor Lupin, was teaching about the tasks and the spells used to overcome the obstacles. Like Professor Watts, he made sure to name the champions who completed the tasks and those who died trying.

At the end of the class, Gary went to Remus to ask the tired looking man about Crouch. "Hey, Uncle Remus, what was with Crouch hanging around the Goblet all night?" he inquired with a questioning look in his eyes.

"What are you talking about, Gary? Barty wasn't anywhere near there last night. I couldn't use the map because Filch was hanging around all night," Remus asked confused and still very tired from his all night sentry.

"Oh, this is bad," Gary said as he pulled his uncle into the office. He whipped out his map and looked for Crouch. "Remus, there are two Bartemius Crouches," he said seriously.

"What?!" the werewolf shouted as he took the map from the shocked boy. "Dammit, I'm calling Amelia." And he pulled the mirror from the special pocket on his robe and called the head of the DMLE. "Amelia, we have a problem," he said as soon as her face showed.

"What is it?" the woman asked with a heavy sigh. Pettigrew was stark raving mad and she couldn't get him to answer any questions. The last thing she needed was another Hogwarts issue.

"Gary just pointed out that there are two Crouches on the map. Isn't Jr. supposed to be dead?" Remus asked.

"Yes, he died in Azkaban years ago. Barty was quite upset for months. It was around the same time his wife died," Amelia answered, her face scrunched in confusion. "I'll be there as quick as I can. Use the map and try and find who the impostor is," she commanded.

"Right. Done," Remus intoned blandly, and then turned to Gary. "Go to class and we'll handle it. Be careful. Don't go anywhere with anyone, even someone you know. If you have to, take your map out and make sure it is not the imposter," he instructed as he led the boy from the office. "I need to tell Albus, it is still his school after all." He wrote a quick note to hang on the door that the next class was canceled.

"Okay, Uncle Remus," Gary said as he made his way out of the classroom. _"Harry, there is an imposter in the school. Be careful and check your map to verify anyone asking you to go anywhere."_

" _Right, do we know who he is posing as?"_ came the reply.

" _No, but Remus said that Filch was hanging around the Cup all night,"_ Gary answered.

" _Okay, thanks for the warning. I'll see you at lunch,"_ Harry said and cut the link.

Harry told the Mutineers that were in his Potions class and Gary told the ones in Charms. When it was time for lunch they all decided they were going to eat at the same table. It was a good thing Hufflepuffs were used to the group taking over their table. Most of them had friends in other Houses thanks to having to sit elsewhere at meals and study time, though they did note that the fourth years of that group were rather tense.

The third year Mutineers quickly joined their peers and asked what was going on. They were told what happened and they too started to get anxious. When Baan and four other Durmstrang students joined them they tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"Hey, Baan, this is my brother Gary," Harry said pointing to his twin, who sat on his left.

"Da, I could tell the… resem… likeness," the older boy said with a bit of difficulty. "You are vorried about something?" he said noting the tension.

"Yeah, but don't worry, the adults got it covered. I hope," Harry said, waving it away.

"Ve could maybe help," Baan offered. Then he turned to his fellow students and introduced them as Schmitt, Kyle, Kurt and Viktor.

"Hey guys, welcome to the Hufflepuff table," Harry said as he shook their hands, which impressed Viktor that they didn't make a big deal out of him being there. Harry introduced all of the Mutineers and they all settled down to eat lunch, which still had dishes from all the nations represented in the school.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not sure how anyone can help," Gary said, bringing the subject back to their worries.

"Ve could maybe understand, if ve knew vat the problem vus," Viktor replied as he cautiously tried the Shepard's pie. He nodded his head when the robust flavor hit his tongue, it was good.

"Well, we didn't want to worry anyone, but we think someone is trying to enter Gary in the tournament," Harry said with a very concerned look on his face.

"Vhy vould somevon do this?" the Quidditch star asked, his own face scrunched up.

"Well, you know they call Gary the Boy-Who-Lived, right?" nods were seen from the visitors. "We think that someone is trying to kill him, because he is a celebrity," the elder twin said in a whisper, not wanting to alarm the foreigners that Voldemort was still out there.

"Da, this I understand," Viktor nodded and then turned to Gary and gave him a sympathizing look. "Ve vill keep vatch."

Gary expressed his thanks and the discussion turned to mundane things for the rest of the meal.

 _ **Meanwhile with the adults**_

James just got off the mirror with Remus and yawned. He grabbed another Pepper-up and looked around at his weary teammates. They had been in the Shack all night, and were just updating the next group. "We need to keep an eye on the map. Moony says there are two Crouches. So we want to watch both of them," he said to the eight men gathered in the torn up living room of the Shack.

"How are we going to tell from here who is who?" Wright asked, stifling a yawn. James handed him a vile and he downed the revitalizing concoction.

The messy-haired wizard noted they were all tired and started handing out more of the potion. "We can only tell who is leaving and how. They both show up as red, so that's out. But, if one of them goes to the Forbidden Forest, or something like that, then we'll go and intercept him."

"Isn't Jr. dead?" Sirius asked, just as confused as Remus had been. Crouch Sr. felt that if his own son was Dark then there was no way that a Black couldn't be, so Sr. hounded him to this day, trying to get him to confess that he was a Dark Wizard and only using the Potters as a shield. It was one of the reasons that the older man didn't like the Potters, he kept trying to get their friend into Azkaban, but they thwarted the man's every move.

"That's what we thought, who knows what Sr. has done. I wouldn't put it past the man to break the law. Remember how he tried to get you thrown in Azkaban, even after we told him that Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper?" the eldest Potter said, echoing Sirius' thoughts.

"No time to speculate now," Derryl said, lifting the enchanted parchment. "We have to keep watch." And he sat down with the map in his lap as his eyes roamed over the Forbidden Forest.

"Only for an hour then the second team can take over," James said stifling a yawn.

Everyone else did the same, but took different parts of the map until they found both Crouches. "I've got a Barty with Dumbledore, and it looks like Remus is with them. Man, I hope he doesn't have to tell that old man about the maps," Sirius said, keeping an eye on the Headmaster's office.

"Me too, but if he does, hopefully he will tell him that his is the only one," his friend answered, still looking for the other Barty.

"Hey, I found the other one," Aric Davies said, pointing to the moving figure. "He's moving awful fast, going to the lake. He'll be out of the boundaries in a few minutes."

"Sirius, Wright, you're with me," James said, jumping up from the lumpy couch and running to the tunnel. "Wayne, call the Library and let them know he might be headed their way."

Wayne whipped out his mirror and called his wife, who was manning the map in Hogsmeade.

The three men ran through the tunnel and froze the Whomping Willow. They then made their way to the lake. Seeing a running Filch, they yelled for him to stop and started firing incapacitation spells. The man didn't even turn, he just kept running to the end of the wards, ducking and weaving to make himself a harder target. Just as a Bone Breaking Curse hit his leg, he made it to the ward line and _Disapparated_ away.

"Dammit," James said as he knelt down and put his fist on his knees. They were just too tired, it was a shame that Pepper-up was only good the first two times you used it in the night. While it will keep them awake enough to get home, they will crash once they get there.

"Now what?" Sirius asked, panting from the run. He didn't want to risk transforming with so much of the potion in his system, it wasn't recommended, something about accelerated heart rates. He didn't understand it, but he wasn't a medic, so he just didn't.

"We still keep a close watch… no, we're going home. We're no good like this. We'll let the other team know he got away and then leave. We should learn the names of the foreign students so we will know if there are more than there should be," James said as an afterthought.

"Beauxbaton is on the map, but Durmstrang is just outside the border, so how are we going to do that?" Wright said as he looked over his map. "Oops, we'd better beat it, Dumbledore is coming."

The trio ran to the ward line and _Disapparated_ to outside the Hogsmeade Library. They let everyone there know what was going on, and then they snuck their way back to the Shrieking Shack. They were soon relieved by the other team. They all spent some time trying to brainstorming how the imposter fooled the map. It was decided that Sr.'s and Jr.'s were too close in names, to tell apart. The Marauders would have to spend some time going over the charms to prevent it from happening again.

 _ **Back to the teens**_

Rumors started floating around Hogwarts and the two other schools. Bartemius Crouch Sr. was arrested by Amelia Bones. They didn't know what for, just that the man was pulled as an official from the tournament and taken in for questioning.

Harry and Gary spent the study hour around the Goblet. Sally was reading every name that went by her. Harry was under the Invisibility Cloak watching the map for Crouch, since Sr. was not on the campus. Suddenly Sally tensed and signaled Gary.

" _Sally just signaled me. That guy with the buzz cut has one of our names,"_ Gary said, moving to intercept the boy. _"It looks like he is in a daze. Try and subdue him. I think he is under the_ Imperius _,"_ he told Harry. He moved in front of the curse boy and said, "Hey, my name is Gary Potter. What's yours?"

Harry in the meantime shot a _Leviosa Charm_ at the Durmstrang student causing him to lift off the ground by a couple of inches, just high enough that he couldn't walk.

"I must put dis name in da Goblet," the boy stated blandly. Gary could see in his eyes he was trying to fight the curse.

"I can help you," the youngest twin suggested as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "How about you give me the name, and I'll make sure it gets where it needs to go."

"Da, I can do dis," the struggling boy answered as he handed the slip over to the Boy-Who-Lived. He felt himself lowered and that seemed to give him enough of a jolt to break the curse. He got very angry with himself, since they were taught how to overcome the _Imperius_ at his school. Oh, he had fought it all the way to the Goblet; nevertheless, he was still upset that he didn't break it sooner. He didn't even know how it happened. He had just walked outside the ship, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw a pale white hand holding a dark wand. He grabbed his wand and was just about to whip around, when he was handed a piece of paper and had the overwhelming urge to put it in the Goblet. Now, he felt in his pockets for his own entry and moved to add his name.

Gary saw Sally nod that that piece was okay, so he moved out of the other boy's way. "Thanks," the fourteen year old Gryffindor beamed at the poor seventeen year old Durmstrang student. "I'll make sure this is taken care of." He turned away, read it and ripped it in two. He then went back to his brother, who was still hidden. They kept a close eye on the Goblet for the rest of time it was there. Then they went to the Great Hall for dinner.

Since it was Halloween there was a feast that night and everyone had to sit at their own tables. The visiting schools were not held to such and Baan, Viktor and two of their friends joined the Gryffindor table, causing Ron to sputter his admiration for Krum. Viktor made sure to sit by Gary to get away from the rabid fanboy.

"Good luck on getting your name drawn," Gary said with a smile, ignoring Ron's glare. "You too, guys," he said with a nod to the other young men. They nodded back.

"Thank you," Viktor said, outside he looked calm, but Gary could see the tension around his eyes.

They ate and enjoyed the meal, similar to the one they had just last night. All eyes turned to the front of the Great Hall when Dumbledore stood and moved to the Goblet of Fire. The Mutineers tensed: did they make in time to stop the imposter?

There was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore raised his hands. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Percy Weasley looked on eagerly. He had been introduced as a temporary replacement for Crouch, until a more qualified person could be found. That had caused the redhead to blush as dark as his hair in embarrassment and anger.

The Mutineers felt the tension, hoping they did everything they could to stop either Potter from being chosen. The Goblet of Fire had not been left unattended all day. No one went near it that wasn't putting their name in, and there had been only the one failed attempt to enter Gary's name. They discussed it with the adults and since Durmstrang was outside of the maps, they had no idea who cursed the poor student. After the adults chased away the imposter, they didn't see his name on the map the rest of the day, that and they hoped James had injured the man enough to give them a small reprieve.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore said majestically, making a few teens roll their eyes at his grandstanding. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask you to please, come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber." — He indicated the door behind the said table — "Where you will receive your first instructions."

Gary's eyes were glued to the too bright flames. He was starting to sweat with anticipation; it beaded on his forehead and dampened the back of his neck. He could feel his brother reacting the same way. They didn't want to be in this stupid tournament. The only time they ever heard of any of the former champions was in the classes that were taught today. There was no glory to come from these gladiator type games.

"Any minute now," Viktor said, his was an eager anticipation. The youngest twin nodded with a tight smile.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it — the whole room gasped.

The Headmaster caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read in a strong clear voice, "will be… Viktor Krum."

"Way to go, Viktor!" Gary yelled over the sudden noise, clapping his new friend on the back.

Viktor returned the clap and made his way to the room, not acknowledging anyone else but his headmaster. When he disappeared behind the door and the applause and chatting died down, everyone's attention focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore mystically, "is… Fleur Delacour!"

"Congratulations, Miss Delacour," Harry said from his place next to her.

She gave him a tight nod and rose from the Ravenclaw table and shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. After the Veela too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next …

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment. Everyone in the Mutineers tightened their grip on whatever they were holding and waited…

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is… Cedric Diggory!"

Hufflepuff and the Mutineers rose as one to cheer the Hogwarts champion on. They stamped their feet and raised their voices to call congratulations to the seventh year Hufflepuff. Cedric made his way past them, waving and grinning broadly as he headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the ovation for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

" _Look at Dumbledore. He keeps looking at the Goblet, like it is supposed to spit out another name. Do you think he tried something? I mean, I don't want to think that the man is desperate enough to use an Unforgivable"_ Gary thought to his brother.

Harry looked at the Headmaster and narrowed his green eyes. If you weren't looking for it you would have missed the glances. _"He might have, and like you I don't want think that badly of the old man. But he could have,"_ he answered as he eyes narrowed in thought.

" _Still we have no proof it was him. That and Dad said that the imposter was headed for the lake, it could have been him,"_ the younger stated, thinking either was possible.

Dumbledore was a very powerful wizard and who knew what he had up his overly bright sleeve. However, Jr. was a Dark Wizard and quite powerful in his own rights. All the same, the boy's kept their eyes glued to the blue-white flames.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. The twinkle in his eyes seemed dimmer. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. Now, I, and the other officials, must attend the champions so they know what they're going to endure for these games. Mingle with our remaining guests or return to your rest areas. I advise you do the former." And with that said, after one more disappointed glace at the Goblet, Dumbledore adjourned to the chamber were the champions disappeared. Madame Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff, along with Bagman and Percy, joined him.

Harry went to join Gary at the Gryffindor table, smiling like he had won a contest. Gary's smile and sense of reprieve was just as overwhelming. Team Potter dodged another bullet, and the relief could be seen in the entire gangs' eyes. Teamwork was what it was all about. They'd call the parents first chance they got.

"Baan," the Gryffindor twin said to the stoic boy, "sorry your name wasn't chosen. Your Headmaster seemed to approve though." He clapped the older boy on the shoulder.

"Da, the Headmaster has always favored Viktor, it is to be… expected," the teen said with a curt nod.

"Still, I know you were hoping to be picked," Harry said as he took the seat next to Gary.

"Don't be stupid," came Ron's voice from down the table, "of course Krum was chosen, he's the best."

The three Durmstrang boys glared at the redhead, making him shrink. "Da, he is the best, however, I vill let you know this, little boy."—he tapped his finger on the table— "He also hates, vut you call— fanboys," Baan sneered at the cowering boy. And then dismissed him as unimportant and resumed his conversation with the twins. "I am… glad your names vere not chosen," he said politely.

"Boy, so are we," the twins said together.

"Ve vere vorried, there vere two men sneaking around da boat today, von vus your headmaster. Ve did not know vhy he vus there," Baan whispered, leaning forward as he spoke. "Ve saw other men try and capture the hooded man, however, he got away," he added.

"Well, we don't want to accuse anyone of doing anything we can't prove, but we stopped one of your peers from entering my name. He was under the _Imperius Curse_. We didn't hurt him, just gave him a reason to fight harder," Gary whispered back.

"Then, you have our thanks. Ve are taught to fight this curse, so whoever cast it vud have to be much powerful," the Durmstrang boy said as he nodded to the twins. The other two nodded as well. All three had a calculating look in their eyes though. The twins didn't feel one bit sorry for whoever cast that curse.

"Let's talk about something a bit more cheerful. We're supposed to be celebrating our champions," Harry said with a bright smile, though it was a bit forced and didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Da," Baan said and lifted his cup, which was refilled with pumpkin juice, "to the champions. May the best man"—"or woman," Parvati was heard to say— vin." The rest of the group joined him with cries of their chosen's name.

The rest of the time, before curfew, was spent mingling among the guests. When the champions were done getting their first clue, they joined them. The Mutineers were especially cheerful and friendly. Harry and Gary introduced their girlfriends to their new friends and hours later everyone went to their respective dorms, or housing, in good moods. Even the Beauxbatons students cheered up with all the welcome they received from the Hogwarts' students.

Harry went back to the Ravenclaw dorm with his friends, and they spent the rest of the night doing their homework. Professor Watts had given them a twelve inch essay on the Tournament due in two days. When he got to his bed, he pulled out his mirror and called his dad. After his father's face showed, he all but shouted, "We did it, Dad."

James forced a smile on his face and answered, "We know. Terry had his mirror on him, so his parents listened to the whole ceremony."

Harry blushed, why didn't they think of that? "Sorry, Dad, we didn't think. I guess we were too nervous or something," he said as his face got brighter red.

"Don't worry, son. We're just happy neither one of you were picked. But, don't let your guard down. We still have someone out there trying to hurt you guys," James said forcefully. This wasn't over; there was still a threat to his family.

"We'll keep on the lookout. We think someone used the _Imperius_ one of the Durmstrang students into putting in Gary's name. We stopped him, but that was only because he was fighting the curse, and Gary gave him a choice that went with what he was told," Harry said, rubbing his face wearily. He was so tired of trying to catch people out to harm them. He was only a fourteen year old boy whose only thoughts should be classes, Quidditch and girls. "One of the students said two men were sneaking around the boat and one was Dumbledore. We don't have any proof he did anything, he might have been talking to Karkaroff," he added quickly when his father's face turned red with anger.

"Shite!" James shouted, suddenly not tired anymore. "It is bad enough we have to worry about _Voldemort_ and his minions, now we have to continue worrying about that manipulative old man. I thought he was going to leave us alone. After trying all summer to get us to let him teach you two. Damn him." He threw the mirror on the bed, got up, started pacing, and shouting at the ceiling.

Lily was heard yelling much the same thing in the background, so Gary must have just told her as well. Harry was very proud of all the work his parent did keeping him and Gary out of the fight. He felt bad making them stressed, but after the World Cup, he knew better then to withhold information.

He let his dad rant a while longer and then shouted to be heard, "Dad! Calm down, we don't know it was him for sure! We said it might be! Isn't that Junior guy powerful? I mean it could still be him."

James stopped his pacing and fuming, picked up the mirror and looked to his son. "Sorry, Harry, I'm just tired. We'll get together with the parents and figure this out. You and Gary keep with a group at all times. Make sure you stay together. Now, tell me about the visitors, have you met any interesting people?" he asked with another forced smile, changing the subject.

Harry let him, and told him about his chilly meeting of Fleur, and his friendship with Baan and his friends. He expounded on his relationship with Viktor Krum, and how he was glad he was chosen as the Durmstrang Champion.

His dad grinned and nodded in all the appropriate places, and congratulated his sons on making international friends.

They talked until midnight, and then the Potter twins, after they finally calmed their parents down, went to bed.

 _ **At the manor**_

James had just put his mirror down, when he received a call that chilled him to the bone and awoke him at the same time.

It was Amelia and all she said was, "We found Frank Bryce."

 **Hphphp**

 _So there you have, Team Potter wins another one. For those of you who I will lose because of this, you will be missed. However, I decided when I wrote the outline that they would_ _ **not**_ _be in the Tournament. The whole premise behind the story is to stop the trials the boys would have had, and let the parents do most of the work._

 _Don't think the boys are out of trouble yet, I still have to get rid of the Dark Lord._

 _For those of you who continue with this story, you have my thanks._


	34. Games Played

**Chapter 34 Games Played**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own.**

 **This rewrite is unbetaed, and only read three times, but I wanted to get it out even with all the changes. So if you see any terrible mistakes, let me know, please. If anyone wants to expand the sports scenes, let me know and I'll make sure you get full credit.**

 _Thanks again for all of your support._

 _Ron is a bit out of character, but then again not really. He was quite jealous during fourth year (perhaps puberty?), and this time it's because he's a fanboy, and Viktor keeps sitting with his ex-friend and not him._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **November 1, 1994 Hogwarts**_

Gary woke up the next morning ecstatic. He wasn't picked, Harry wasn't picked, and nothing could bring him down today. He got up, did his morning rituals and got dressed. He woke Neville and Dean, and then he went down to the common room. As the messy-haired teen waited for his friends by the fire, he took out his charms book and read on the current assignment, since he missed Study Hall yesterday. He heard someone coming down the stairs and looked up, hoping it was his friends, but it was Ron and Seamus. He wasn't sure how they got down before the others, but felt it might be something hygienically unpleasant, in his opinion anyway. He never really liked _Refresher Charms_ ; to him they left you musty.

"Bet you're disappointed your name didn't get chosen," Ron sneered bringing Gary out of his thoughts, but not dropping his mood one bit. He wasn't going to let this git ruin his morning, so he just pointedly returned back to his book. "Don't think I don't know why your fans were hanging around the goblet," the irate boy snapped, pointing his finger at the twin. "You were trying to figure out a way to enter. I'll bet you're the reason Fred and George tried to get over the age line. I always told Mum they hung out with you too often, now they are in trouble. Well, it's just too bad for you, that Dumbledore is smarter than you," he huffed and folded his arms.

"Ron, you've known me since we were five. Do you really think I would do that?" Gary asked as he calmly turned a page in his book, not even his ex-friend would bring him down.

"Yes," was all the youngest male Weasley said, though the quickness of the reply you knew he had no doubt.

The Gryffindor Potter just shook his head and put his book down. He had other things to worry about, but not today. Today he was going to make as worry free as possible.

Lavender and Parvati came down the stairs and took their seats next to Gary and glared at the other two Gryffindors, while Faye and Leanne went to stand by Ron and Seamus. The common room was starting to get crowded with onlookers. Neville and Dean soon joined them and with an expression of confusion, went to stand behind Gary.

"What's going on?" Neville said, regarding the two groups facing off.

" _Ron_ thinks Gary was trying to add his name to the goblet yesterday," Lavender snarled as she spat the redhead's name like it was venom. "And those three agree with him."

Gary put his book in his bag and said, "Leave it, guys. We'll never convince him otherwise. He's too far into his mummy's pockets." He got up, dismissed the four glaring fourth years, and casually made his way to the portrait, ignoring the outraged shouts.

All this time Hermione stood on the fringes, not getting involved with the disagreement. She had defended the Potter twins last night, but only long enough to get her views across. She didn't think the boys had done anything wrong, and she told Gary so before she went to bed the night before.

Gary understood that, so he gave her a short nod and moved passed the portrait, who was gossiping with another painted witch about the Cedric being chosen.

When the rest of the Gryffindor Mutineers joined him, he just whistled a merry tune and made his way to breakfast. The others exchanged amused glances and then tooted along with him. The Weasley twins, of course, changed the tune. They made quite a sight, bouncing along the halls and whistling as loud as they could. Other students just shook their heads and grinned, they were quite used to the weirdness of this group of students.

They joined the rest of their gang at the Hufflepuff table, along with the friends they made yesterday and had a wonderful meal. Chatter was plentiful as they congratulated the champions.

When Cedric Diggory came into the Hall all of Hogwarts stood and cheered, even the Slytherins joined, clapping their hands and shouting their joy. The seventh year Hufflepuff blushed and then bowed to each table. He then went and joined his friends, who were sitting at the Ravenclaw table. He sat next to Fleur and tried to engage her in conversation. She was having none of it though.

 _ **Meanwhile with the parents**_

Once again the largest dining room in the Potter Manor was filled with concerned parents. This time though there was a full English breakfast on the table, so they could eat while they talked. Hopefully that might make the assembly less tense. That and some people had work in a few hours, so they were going to have to make it a quick meeting.

Lily's face once again had stress lines; it was as if her weeks at the spa never happened. Though James could only speculate how much worse it would be if she hadn't gone.

The oldest Potter rose to his feet, and tapped his coffee mug with his wand, having forgone tea for the more caffeinated beverage. "Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us. Enjoy the meal while we talk, I know it is bad manners, but needs must."

Everyone tiredly nodded their heads. Gifford Abbott, after filling his plate and cup, said, "James, you know we want to help you as much as we can, but, I, for one, can't take any more time off work." You could see the remorse on his face. Many of the parents nodded in agreement and voiced their worries and regrets as well.

James stood once again and with a strained, yet thankful smile, he said, "I know and I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for us. We won't ask you to put your jobs in jeopardy. Do us a favor and keep an ear out for rumors about Tom or any of his minions."

The workers looked at one another and then turned to James and Lily. "We can do that. I still don't trust Malfoy or some of his 'friends'. So I have no issue keeping a very close eye on them," Gifford said and then returned to his meal.

"We're going to be questioning Barty Sr. today. We'll find out if it if he knew the son was alive. Hopefully he has some insight on what's going on with the boy," Amelia added, thinking of the questions she would be asking her one time friend. Like did he get his son out of prison? And how he hid the boy? It didn't look good for Crouch Sr. "Now that we know what town Voldemort is hiding, I sent a group there last night. So far they've reported that there are wards around his father's old house." She ran a hand down her face, dislodging her monocle. "They are strong, we have a curse breaker on them, but if Tom cast them then we aren't hopeful that they will be easily brought down."

"Shite, well I guess it is to be expected from a Dork Lord. And once again, you have our thanks," James stated, taking a sip of his coffee.

"How would he cast if he's a homunculus?" came the question from down the table.

"Homunculus' are magical constructs," explained Lily, having wondered the same thing. "If we're right then Tom Riddle Jr.'s soul is in that, and your soul is linked directly to your magic, hence the reason Harry is stronger than Gary. So his magic is just fine, it's his body that he lacks."

"Oh, so that's how he killed the caretaker?"

"Yes," Amelia answered, "So he is to be considered armed and dangerous. We know he has at least one minion, now that we have Pettigrew. Be on the lookout for them and a very large snake."

The messy-haired wizard moved the meeting along by asking, "Wayne can you spend some time in your Animagus form and scout the area?"

"Yeah, I don't have a job, so I'll do a flyby each morning and night. Who knows what I'll find," the man answered, making a note on the ever present notepad.

"Thank you, Wayne," Lily said wholeheartedly. That was one thing off her mind.

"Xeno, are there any more crystals you can put out to encourage the public to continue standing for themselves? The ones Luna put out over the summer are marvelous, but they are for peace time, so I was wondering if we could get one out not so quiet times. I don't want them conforming back into putting all their hopes on my son," the very tired father asked, turning to his strange friend.

"I'll have Luna make one up when she gets the chance. I'll also continue to run articles in the same vein," the white-haired man answered as ate a bite of wonderfully crisp bacon.

"Great," James said, and then looked over the group. "Hunters, barring Wayne, we have a new purpose. We're going to be watching Hogsmeade and Hogwarts — continuously. I know you guys don't have to work, and I won't try to keep you from your family. We almost caught Jr. twice yesterday, and with teamwork hopefully we can keep the kids out of trouble. Lily and Albert are going to figure out why the names didn't differ. Augusta, you keep up with your teas, and keep them away from gossiping about us." He turned to each person and spoke in a suggestive tone, not wanting to come off as some sort of dictator. He was relieved when they just smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, and Remus being at the school helps. Plus, the ghosts also promised to keep watch," Sirius said from his place on James left.

"Don't forget Severus," Lily spoke for the first time, ignoring the snorts from the two Marauders. "He promised to keep a look out. He has to be more careful about it, because Dumbledore still thinks he is in his pocket. And with Karkaroff there, he still has to play Tom's spy as well. Sometime I feel sorry for him," she sighed, and shook her head at the mess her friend had made of his life.

"Right, Snape, well, I hope he stays true to his word," James said with a strained smile, not wanting to cause his wife to get mad. The snort was automatic.

"We'll work together with our wives," Wright said, going over some schedules on his pad. "Well, those that don't have jobs. The husbands can be in the Shrieking Shack, while the wives watch from the Library," he added thoughtfully. "That way couples are home at the same time."

"Yeah, that's a good plan," James agreed and then restarted on his meal. The rest of breakfast was spent in discussion on schedules and then everyone left.

They would worry about Dumbledore when the time came. They had no proof of his involvement, so there was little they could do. Maybe Augusta could start spreading seeds of doubt about the old man's mind and age. That might knock him down a few pegs, and keep him too busy to interfere with the Potter family. He made a mental note to talk to her later; it would have to be done delicately.

James, Lily and Sirius went into the game room and tried to relax. "We'll have to think of something extra special for everyone for Christmas, especially since the kids have to stay at Hogwarts this year," Lily said as she snuggled into her husband's side.

He pulled her close and hummed an agreement, thinking of things they could do for their friends.

Sirius started to snore from the other couch, making the two Potters chuckle with amusement. Since it wasn't their shift they would relax— for now.

 _ **A short narration**_

Time passed quickly, everyone continued to keep an eye out for Crouch Jr., but now that his father was incarcerated for using the _Imperius Curse_ , there was little chance of him showing. Plus the fact that he was injured and perhaps holed up in a non-magical town, away from healers, they could only hope that he didn't know healing magic.

That didn't prevent the Mutineers or their parents from constantly watching. Regardless of all that, the Potter twins were in good moods, very little would get them down. They were safe, for now, and so were their friends.

The questioning of Pettigrew was a bust, the man died when he choked on his own tongue. He was potioned to answer where the Dark Lord was, and what the plans for the tournament were. The only thing they got out of him was that it all involved Gary and he died.

Sally and her ghosts reported nothing new; even with her connection with the dead, no news came her way. She had no idea what was going on with Voldemort. They got the same location from the spirit of Bryce as Madam Bones did. The Potters were angry with themselves for not thinking of asking her sooner. She was connected to all the dead after all. When the boys asked why she didn't tell them, she indicated that she was told not to by a higher power. She said that the prophecy was in play now and that they had to rely on themselves for the most part. She was going to be there rooting them on, but could be of little help. They did train harder than ever though.

She got nothing but zealot ravings from the spirit of Pettigrew, and Sally was so frustrated that she tore his soul to shreds. It would take centuries for him to heal enough to move on.

The Mutineers made great headway in making friends with all the visitors. Luna had a special relationship with two of the Beauxbatons boys. They thought she was a wonderful gift to mankind.

Gary and Harry continued their friendship with the Durmstrang boys and were being taught some spells not taught at Hogwarts. They in return were teaching Baan and his friends to meditate, making sure to give them the crystals. Viktor was especially thankful; he said they would help his career.

All in all, almost everyone was getting along. Fleur Delacour was a bit of a holdout she didn't want to make friends with anyone in Hogwarts. She stuck mostly to the Beauxbatons' students. Harry still couldn't shake the feeling that it was all a mask, but he wasn't going to force a friendship.

 _ **November 14 1994, Hogwarts**_

Then came the day after the Weighing of the Wands, Rita wrote another article. The headline was:

 **Did the Boy-Who-Lived Try to Enter the Tri-wizard Tournament?**

The article went on about how one student, who wasn't named, gave an interview about how Mutineers stayed around the Goblet that day. It questioned as to why this would be. And speculated that Gary, or Harry, were trying to take the glory away from the real champions. Needless to say, the Potters were furious, and Lily went straight to her lawyer and told him to bury that woman.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall said to Gary as she appeared behind him during breakfast.

"Yes, Professor," the boy answered as he laid the paper down and turned to her.

"The Headmaster would like to see you and your brother before classes," she said primly as if she believed what was written, even though Gary, nor Harry, ever showed such actions before.

"Will you and Professor Flitwick be joining us?" the messy-haired teen asked with a tilt of his head. All the while talking to Harry and finding out at his Head of House had no issue in joining them. Sometimes Gary wished she would step down and let someone who wasn't as busy as she was take over the position.

"As it has to do with the tournament, neither of us are required," she sniffed like she was affronted about something, though the fourteen year old had no idea what.

"Professor," Gary said slowly, "I will not go to his office unescorted, so either you and Harry's Head of House join us, or our parents are to be called."

"Very well, Mr. Potter, that is your right," the Deputy stated as she turned away and headed to Staff Table.

"Do you often have… discussions like this vith your teachers?" Baan asked, leaning forward so their talk was private.

"Only when it involves the Headmaster," Gary answered, looking that the old man and smiling like he had no issues, even as McGonagall told him that she and Filius would be joining them. The Headmaster's smile dimmed, but he raised his glass at Gary and then went back to his breakfast.

After breakfast the Potter twins and many of the Mutineers walked to the gargoyle.

"What are all of you children doing here?" the Transfiguration teacher asked when she and Flitwick meet them there.

"We're witnesses. If this is to be an interrogation then we want to make sure that it is known that both boys have alibis," Susan answered as she squeezed Gary's hand. "Auntie always said, 'Make sure you stand up for the innocent,' so here I am." She smiled brightly with a look of complete blamelessness on her face.

"Oh, very good, very good indeed. You children wait here, and if we need you then you will be called," Professor Flitwick stated, all but jumping up and down at the show of complete friendship. He always liked the Mutineers, they were a good group of children. He had no doubt that Rita Skeeter was spouting complete lies.

Harry, Gary, McGonagall, and Flitwick went up the stairs. They were bid enter before they could knock, and when they went in they saw Snape, Karkaroff and Maxime. There were also Ministry representatives, like Bagman and Percy. Amelia was also there, though she didn't look happy about it and was arguing with Dumbledore.

"… did not try and enter. You cannot interrogate them without their parents," she said loudly.

"My dear Amelia, this is not an interrogation. I simply want to ask two questions to both boys and then they may be on their way," Dumbledore said genially.

"Which you should not be doing without their parents here," the formidable woman snapped, like she had been repeating it for a while.

"I am sure that the Potters need not come for something so trivial," the old man said as he waved her off and turned to the boys. "Ah, young Gary, and Mr. Potter, please have a seat this will not take but a minute."

The boys looked at Madam Bones, who winked at them and patted her pocket. They let out a sigh of relief and took the chairs. "You wanted to see us, Headmaster," they said together.

"Yes, it has come to our attention that you boys may have tried to enter the tournament, is that so?" Albus asked as he folded his hands and placed them on his desk.

"No, sir," was the succinct and duo comeback.

"Did you try and get someone else to enter?" the old man asked, peering over his glasses. "I know you have friends that are of age."

"No, sir," the twin voices were heard again.

"They are of course lying," Madam Maxime stated, just as snotty as her champion.

The twins just shrugged, they couldn't care less what the woman thought. "We have a question, sir, everyone knows the Weasley twins tried to enter, why are they not here?" the boys asked together.

"That is a very good question, boys," Amelia said as she polished her monocle. "Also there was a young Durmstrang man who was _Imperiused_ , why is he not here?"

"I talked to the boy from my school, and he only remembers leaving the boat and having Mr. Gary Potter take the slip away from him. To vich you have my thanks. Ve have already given our statement," Karkaroff said with a curt nod towards Gary.

"Yes, about that," Dumbledore said, holding up his hands when Amelia started to protest, making her huff, "However did you know?"

"The ghost told us, sir" intoned both boys.

"Now, boys, as amusing as your twin speak is, I am going to have to ask you to stop communicating at the same time," the Headmaster stated with a small amused smile at the twins.

"No, sir, we will not," they answered. "We stand together."

"You will respect the headmaster and cease this at once," Snape snapped, as he looked down his hooked nose as if talking to something smelly. He had actually been, well not pleasant, but neutral. The twins knew he had a part to play here, and for their mother's sake they really hoped they prevented this man from ever being a spy again.

"We have not disrespected him, sir. We just want everyone to know, we stand united… sir," they said, both folding their arms across their chest and looking the epitome of twins.

"I believe that is enough, unless you are going to drag all of the underage children that tried to enter here, then you have no proof that the boys did anything wrong. Unless you are going to accuse them of using the Unforgivable, which would be unwise," the Head of the DMLE stated as she nodded to the boys.

"Very well, you may go," the old man sighed as he nodded toward Gary and shooed Harry out of the office.

The twins hotfooted it down the stairs, just glad that it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. They were met by a wall of friends and girlfriends.

"Was it terrible?" Susan asked, grabbing Gary's hand and pulling him into a hug.

"Yes, what happened?" Daphne asked as she too held her boyfriend's hand, but didn't hug him, just stood very close.

"Don't worry, guys, we weren't alone with him, your auntie was there, Susan, along with all of the tournament committee." Gary said as he returned the show of affection.

"Who do you think talked to Skeeter?" Wayne asked as they started moving towards classes.

"Oh, that's easy," Hannah stated, "it was Ronald Weasley."

"How do you know?" Gary asked, hating the thought that she was right.

"They were on the map together, but since she had permission to be school grounds there wasn't anything the adults could do. Mr. Lupin went to break them up when I mirrored him, but he had to wait until his class was over."

"Oh, yeah, he was out of class after fighting with Malfoy," Gary stated, remembering the argument that had Snape's veins bulging until the man snapped and threw Ron out of Potions.

"Well, it's over, let's get to class," the Ravenclaw twin said, pecking his girlfriend on the cheek and turning towards Herbology.

Thank Merlin he had Lavender and Parvati. If anyone could nip a rumor in the bud, it was the Gryffindor Gossips. Susan and Hannah made sure to take Cedric aside and let him know the real reason they guarded the Cup that day. He said he understood, after all neither Potter boys ever tried to take glory before. He remembered how the twins turned down the special privilege of playing Quidditch their first year. If they were glory hounds then they would have snapped that up right away.

Augusta was diligent in squashing stories caused by the article. She used this time to start planting those seeds of doubt on whether the Headmaster had finally gotten too old to hold so many titles.

 _ **November 19, 1994 Hogwarts**_

Harry was looking at the map, just before bed. He had already done his training for the night and he was tired. But it was now habit to make sure all was well within the castle. He had just finished looking around the empty halls of Hogwarts, when a movement to the side of the map caught his eye. There were names in the Forbidden Forest. One was Charlie Weasley, what could he be doing in the Forest? Harry didn't want to speculate so he took out his mirror and called Sirius. When the dark-haired _Animagus_ showed Harry asked, "Are you guys seeing this?"

"You mean all the people in the Forest?" Sirius asked as he glanced sideways at his own map.

"Yeah, do you know who they are?" the tired teen asked. Hoping they weren't hostile, though Padfoot didn't seem to be worried.

"Yup, we saw them earlier, and me and your dad changed to our animals and went to investigate. There are dragon tamers and three dragons. Nesting mothers from the looks of it. They're here for the first task," Sirius said with a huge yawn. Surveillance was boring, even with the excitement of dragons.

"Dragons!" Harry yelled, waking up a bit more. "They have to fight dragons?" he asked, now worried for his friends.

"Nah, they just have to get passed them and grab something out of the nest," the grey-eyed man said as he waved Harry's worries away.

"Oh, and that's so much better," the teen said sarcastically, thinking of all the horrific things that could go wrong with that.

"Sure it is, if you think about it. Done the right way, it is easier to sneak passed a dragon than it is to slay one. Beside, dragons are a protected creature, not even for this tournament would they sanction killing one. Especially a nesting mother," Sirius explained, running a hand down his haggard face.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I'm more tired than I thought," Harry said sheepishly. "Should we warn the champions?"

"I wouldn't worry about anyone but that Diggory kid. The other two Heads were both in the Forest, so they probably told their students. So, yeah, tell the Hufflepuff, just to make it fair," he stated with a nod.

"Alright, I'll let him know first thing tomorrow," Harry said. His face cracked with a large yawn and he rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Padfoot."

"Goodnight, Harry. Done." And the mirror went blank.

Harry started his crystal and Luna's misty voice soon had him asleep.

The next morning the Ravenclaw Mutineers went to the Great Hall, and Harry's eyes roamed the Hall looking for the Hogwarts' Champion. He spotted him at the Hufflepuff table surrounded by his friends. They were laughing and ribbing each other good-naturally. Harry almost didn't want to disturb them. Heaving a great sigh, he made his way to Cedric. "Hey, Diggory, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked as he approached the seventh year.

"Why?" one of the other boys asked, suspicious about this fourth year student. He was one of the few that believed Skeeter.

The older twin ignored him and kept his eyes on Diggory, making sure to show that he was concerned and had information.

Cedric, seeing that anxiety and knowing glint, got curious and nodded his head to his friends, letting them know he'd be right back. The two boys left the Hall and made their way to the far wall of the Entrance Hall. They leaned casually against the wall, side by side.

"So, you know my dad and his friends are keeping an eye on the castle?" Harry asked. Everyone knew about the impostor, thanks to Crouch Sr.'s trial and Pettigrew's death. Though, they all thought the parents were just wandering around Hogsmeade. Thank Merlin, Remus managed to keep the map from Dumbledore, or they wouldn't be able to watch from the Shack. Harry had no idea how DADA teacher had convinced the Headmaster there were two Crouches, and the werewolf wasn't telling.

"Yeah," was all the sandy-haired boy said.

"Well, yesterday they noticed a group of wizards in the Forest. They investigated and found dragon tamers, who were talking about how hard it was to sneak passed a nesting one," Harry hinted as he peered through his bangs to see if the other boy got it without him having to flat out say what the first task was. He didn't want to be accused of cheating, even though it wasn't technically against the rules. With Dumbledore always watching him, he didn't want to give the Headmaster any excuses.

Cedric quickly mulled over that piece of information and within seconds his face paled. He nodded his head to Harry, and rushed back into the Great Hall. He made his excuses to his friends and ran back out.

Harry could only assume he was going to the library. He shrugged a shoulder and went to join his friends. Viktor and the other four Durmstrang boys came and sat next to them. "Viktor," he said with a nod, "I get the feeling your Headmaster gave you some disturbing news." There was a questioning note in that statement.

"Da," the stoic boy said. He too was looking a little pale. "I came to ask if your champion knows vut I know?"

Harry flashed him a beaming smile and nodded his head. The Bulgarian lost some of the tension in his shoulders, and started to serve himself breakfast. The rest of the meal was spent talking about Quidditch and other sports. The Durmstrang students were actually interested in the non-magical sports the Mutineers were telling them about.

"So, someone kicks a ball across a field, vile others try and stop them. But, the players cannot use their hands? This is correct, da?" Baan asked, trying to understand football.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Well, the goalie can use his hands, but that's all," Terry explained. "Maybe we can teach you guys this afternoon? You know, blow off some steam," he said excitedly. It had been awhile since they had a pick-up game.

"That's a great idea," Susan said, bouncing in her seat. "I'll tell everyone else, and we can get some teams together." And with that breakfast was forgotten as she ran to spread the word.

"That girl and football," Gary said, shaking his head fondly.

Everyone finished their meal and the Mutineers told the Durmstrang students what would be best to wear. It was going to be cold, but after they played for a bit, they would be warmed up. It was good thing it hadn't started snowing yet, this might be the last time they could play before winter hit in full force.

They all went to their dorms, or boat, and got dressed. The players put on sweats and long sleeved t-shirts, their robes thrown over their clothes until they hit the field. The spectators just grabbed winter outerwear. They gathered in the Entrance Hall and waited for the Durmstrang students. When the wayward students joined them, they went to the courtyard and set it up for the game.

Baan, Schmitt, Kyle, Kurt and Viktor decided they were going to play. Other Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students were going to watch. Harry and Gary were goalies; it had been decided long ago that because of their tight connection, they could not be on the same team. Terry decided to be the referee. Lee Jordan, of course, amplified his voice to be commentator.

The game lasted two hours, with Gary's team the winner. The visitors wanted to play one more, since it was a narrow win. They all agreed, but switched up teams. The second game lasted an hour and a half, with Gary's team the victor by a landslide. Everyone cheered and laughed, the stress that had been hanging off Viktor melted with the good fun, which was one of the reasons they suggested it in the first place.

Other Houses took over the field and Cedric joined in the fun.

It was a large group of happy teens that went to lunch, after they changed of course. Chattering about the games lasted the entire meal and the professors were glad to see such international cooperation. Ron and his little group of friends were extremely put out that none of the foreigners would have anything to do with them. Krum especially snubbed the boy, after his attempt to get an autograph. When the rumor circulated about Ron's talk with Skeeter, more and more students had nothing to do with that minority group.

 _ **November 22, 1994 Hogwarts**_

It was a biting winter's day, the first task was this afternoon and the excitement in the air could be felt all over England. The students prattled all through breakfast, giving encouragement to all the champions. Viktor wouldn't tell either of the twins what his plan was. He would just smile and shake his head. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but rumor started somewhere.

No one was paying attention to class, so the professors lectured on past first tasks, and the spells or charms that were used. Though they had given these lessons prior, it seemed like a good idea to go over them again. Well, all but Snape and Watts, they didn't tolerate the children being distracted. With a firm hand they got their lessons complete.

It was at lunch that the champions disappeared, causing the excitement to build. After the meal everyone trooped out to the stadium that was built just for this task. It was a huge wooden structure that was at least three stories high. There was a large box midway, where the judges and officials would be seated.

The round stadium held rows and rows of seats, and stairs climbed on the outsides and the middle. The Mutineers all gathered as one unit and made their way to the top chairs. Most of them had Omnioculars from the World Cup, so they didn't mind being that far from the action. They would share with those that didn't since these devices recorded, so the other students could see the tasks between contestants.

There was an enclosure off to the left of the field, which had a large screen, probably where the dragons were hidden. There was a tent off to the right that was housing the champions. Next to that tent was a white one with a red cross that could only be the medical area.

This time the parents weren't left out: those that couldn't attend the games, were huddled around the mirrors. Thanks to Terry's suggestion, all the Mutineers brought their mirrors to the event, much to the thanks of those men in the Shrieking Shack. They wouldn't be able to see, but they could listen. Many other students seeing what they were doing did the same. Very few people would be left out.

Bagman's voice boomed across the stadium. "Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen to the Tri-wizard Tournament. We are going to see some exciting things happening today. When the cannon goes off, our first contestant will be… Cedric Diggory! Who will be facing a Swedish Short-Snout! This dragon's scales are silvery blue, and its powerful flame is also a brilliant blue color. That fire is hot enough to reduce timber and bone to ashes in seconds. This won't be easy for the Hogwarts Champion! Let's see what he can do?"

The crowd exploded with cheers and then 'ohhed' and 'ahhed' when the dragon was brought into the arena. When the great beast let out a breath of fire towards the stands, many of the spectators screamed. There was a ward to prevent the fire from harming them, that and the giant lizard was far away. Still, to see fire come towards your face was frightening.

The cannon fired and the seventh year Hufflepuff came out of the tent. He stood at the entrance and used a Transfiguration spell to change a rock into a dog to distract the dragon. He was partially successful; the dragon took the bait, and Cedric went for the Golden Egg. He was halfway out of the arena, when the dragon turned its attention to him. It let out a burst of flame that just missed the champion, but the heat was enough to burn his face. The seventh year Hufflepuff retrieved the egg, however, and passed the task.

The Hufflepuffs gave him a standing ovation, and the rest of Hogwarts joined them.

"I hope he isn't hurt too bad," Susan said, gripping Gary's hand so tight the blood stopped flowing.

"I'm sure he's okay," he said, patting her hand. "Madam Pomfrey will fix him right up."

"Yeah," she said, loosening her hold.

"Yes, a great show!" Bagman said, his voice once more filling the stadium. "Now let's see the score for our brave Hogwarts' champion!"

The judges stood and Bagman gave his score first it was a nine, Dumbledore shot a score of eight, Karkaroff gave a four, Percy showed a six and Madame Maxime gave a score of eight. The Hogwarts champion received a total score of thirty-five. The crowd cheered for the higher points and booed Karkaroff. Percy's got a mix of both.

"Now! Ladies and Gentlemen, our next champion will be… Fleur Delacour!" boomed Bagman.

The Beauxbatons' students and visitors stood up and clapped when the cannon went off. Fleur came from the tent and faced a Common Welsh Green. The Welsh Green's roar is rather distinctive and somewhat melodious and it issues its fire in narrow jets.

Fleur used her Veela charm and enchanted the dragon to sleep, but while retrieving the golden egg, the dragon snored and let out a jet of flame that set her skirt alight. She extinguished the flames, and left with her egg.

"Oh, she'll lose points for that," Bagman predicted. "Now the scores."

Once again Bagman went first and once again it was a nine, Dumbledore gave a six, Karkaroff gave a five, Percy shot off a five and Madam Maxime gave an eight. The final award being thirty-three.

"I guess they weren't impressed," mused Harry, who really wasn't either, though he was glad she as safe.

"Maybe if she had actually used a spell, she might have gotten a higher score," suggested Daphne in a huff. She didn't like how Harry kept trying to be friendly with the Beauxbatons' champion, even though he swore it was for political reasons.

"Yeah, maybe," he conceded, admitting that she really didn't do much magic.

"Now, for our final contestant… Viktor Krum!"

The Bulgarian ran from the tent and confronted a Chinese Fireball. The Fireball's scarlet and smooth scaled were fringed with golden spikes around its snub-snouted face and extremely protuberant eyes. Its name is derived from the mushroom-shaped flame that comes from its nostrils when angered, along with the large mushroom-shaped flame it shoots from its mouth.

Victor used the _Accio Charm_ to call his broom. He had gotten the idea from the Weasley twins, who made an off-the-cuff comment about whether or not it could be done. He wanted to try it. So he called his professional grade broom to him and jumped on it as soon as it was in his hands. His years of professional Quidditch helped him evade the dragon as he shot a straight line to the nest, snatched the egg and flew back. All in all it took thirty seconds to get the egg.

Bagman seemed to be stuck on the number nine, Dumbledore gave a nine, Karkaroff shot off a ten, while Percy gave a nine and Madame Maxime concluded with a nine, putting Viktor in first place with forty-six points.

Harry and Gary applauded for their friend, ignoring the glares from some of the Hufflepuffs. Most of the school knew they were friends with the Bulgarian seeker. When the champions came out of the medical tent the whole crowd stood up and gave a round of applause for them all.

"Yes, give these brave young men, and lady, a big hand." Bagman said. "The next task will be just as daring. It will be held on the twenty fourth of February. Until then Ladies and Gentlemen!" and he canceled the mic.

"Well, we can conclude that Karkaroff will not be a fair judge," Terry said bitterly.

"Yeah, too bad he can't be replaced. I wonder what Viktor thinks about it," Mandy said as they walked to the castle.

"Neither will Bagman, what with giving everyone a nine. I wonder what his game is," Harry added. He knew from his dad the man was a gambler, but if he was giving all the players the same score, did that mean he wasn't betting on the tournament?

The rest of today's classes were canceled and it was almost time for dinner. So the students of all three schools were making their way to the Great Hall.

Now that the task was over, they all wondered what was next. Rumors going around suggested there was something happening for Christmas. A lot of girls were excited and rightly guessed that is was a dance of some sort, of course their history lessons pointed in that direction. So the topic turned to dresses and make-up for the girls and who was going to ask who for the boys. The Potter twins had already confirmed with their girlfriends that if rumor was correct they would be attending together.


	35. Christmas fun and the Graveyard

**Chapter 35 Christmas fun and the Graveyard**

 **Thanks to my betas, darrelldeam and alix33, for checking this over. All mistakes are my own. Remember the rewrite didn't have a beta.**

 _I wasn't going to combine the last two chapters, but they were so small I had little choice. I'm pretty sure I covered all the plot-holes, judging from the notes I made along the way._

 **Hphphp**

 _ **December 25, 1994**_

Christmas day came with a ton of snow. The grounds were piled high with the white stuff and there were paths from the Beauxbatons' carriage and the Durmstrang boat, from where the students traveled for meals. The gang was glad to see that the French students were dressing warmer, thanks to some of the other girls giving them tips. International cooperation was going well, with the teens anyway.

Hogwarts was a glittering beauty, there were everlasting icicles hanging from every banister. Fairies were flitting about the halls. The whole building was given a good cleaning, so even the walls were bright, well as bright as stone could be. The suits of armor, also polished, were spelled to sing carols whenever someone passed them by, which had been quite annoying until someone made them sing the same one at the same time.

Laughter and good cheer filled the halls as students opened their presents. Toys and games were shared and teens were seen running up and down the halls. The professors didn't dock points on this day; they knew that the students needed to unwind after a grueling term. They did however yell at them to slow down, and chastised anyone for using magic in the halls.

Now it was Christmas night and the whole school was filled with emotion. Most good, some worried, but you could feel the hum in the air from so much teen anticipation. First, second, and most of the third years were pouting. They did get a special dinner that ended at eight, but it wasn't the same as a ball.

Gary was in his dorm donning his dress robes. They were a deep red with gold trim. Susan had informed him that her dress matched, so he wasn't worried. Right now, he was trying to do the impossible and tame his hair.

"I don't know why you bother," Neville said as he combed his perfectly straight hair in to a roguish style.

"Yeah," Dean agreed as he patted his into tight curls, "it's never worked before."

"Oh, leave off will ya, this is our first formal date and I want to look good," Gary complained as he once more tried to down a cowlick. He finally groaned and dropped the brush. "Maybe the Gossip Queens can help."

"Don't count on it, they have spent the last few hours doing whatever it is that girls do to doll-up," his dark-skinned friend offered.

"Shite," Gary said, making sure his robes weren't creased. He then gazed at his friends to see if they were ready.

Neville was taking Luna to the ball. His robes were a light blue, something his grandmother picked out, they were quite tasteful. They had a dark grey trim, which accented his coloring. Luna was going to dress similarly in a light blue gown with silver sparkles, making it look like a fairy's dress.

Dean was taking Ginny, much to Ron's disapproval. The fourth year boy had sent a letter to Mr. Weasley to ask permission, knowing she would not be able to attend otherwise. His robes were dark grey, with black trimming. Ginny's dress was silver with black trim. Gary and Harry had bought it for her one Hogsmeade weekend, because the dress she had received from her mum was okay, but the coloring was wrong. This one was loose and perfect for a girl her age.

Ron came from the bathroom, followed by Seamus. There was a blush on his face making it a deep crimson, which clashed with his ginger hair and his golden robes. The robes were more like a dress with its ruffles and lace. You could tell where the poor boy had tried to make it manlier and remove some of the ruffles, which actually made it more dress like.

Seamus' were brown and red, and they weren't too bad. The Irish boy was still trying to take the lace off his friend's monstrous robes, but was only making them worse.

Gary and the other two Mutineers were hard-pressed not to laugh outright. So they turned their backs on the embarrassed teen, who was telling his mate to leave off and struggling not to explode with anger.

"Hey, Gary, where are you meeting Susan at?" Dean asked, grasping at anything to get their minds off those hideous robes.

"I'm going to be a gentleman and meet her at her dorm entrance," Gary said with a shrug as he picked up the corsage that he was going to give her. It wasn't a wizard tradition, but his mum suggested it as a nice token.

"Oh, I'm meeting Luna in the Entrance Hall," Neville said as he fixed his tie one last time. He wondered if he should conjure flowers for his date and then decided against it.

"Ginny's going to meet me in the common room," Dean said, turning away from the mirror.

"I still don't like you dating my sister," Ron piped up with a scowl on his face as he pulled some ruffles off the front of the robe.

"It's not up to you. Besides I have permission from your father," Dean said casually. He had already had this argument.

Ron just snarled, gave up on the robes and stomped from the room. Seamus followed his grumpy friend, sending a glare at the other three boys. As soon as the door closed the boys let loose with their laughter.

"Did you see those robes? I don't know what Mrs. Weasley was thinking, sometimes I feel sorry for Ron," Gary said between chuckles. He knew from the twins that Bill had better dress robes than those, and Ron could have used them.

"I don't either, mate. But I'll tell you what, if my mum ever tried to get me in something like that, I would have set it on fire," Dean said as he straightened the wrinkles from his robes that bending over laughing caused.

"Come on, let's go find our dates," Neville suggested with a jerk of his head, and the three took one last look in the mirror and left to get their dates.

Gary went to the barrels that guarded the Hufflepuff dorm, and waited for someone to fetch Susan. When she came out his jaw dropped. The young lady was dressed in a red, daring, skintight, shoulder less gown. It hugged _all_ of her curves. There was a muted gold wrap around her shoulders in place of a robe. At the neck were small gold jewels that sparkled light on to her face, making her look like a nymph. Her hair was pulled back into a chignon, with wisps of loose strands framing her face. To Gary she looked stunning.

"Oh Merlin, you look wicked. I'm surprised your aunt let you wear such a mature dress," Gary said stupidly.

Susan frowned a cute little pout, and then just as quickly she grinned. "She didn't, but it is better to ask for forgiveness than try and get permission," she said with a brilliant smile.

"Whatever the cause, I approve. "Here, I got these for you," he said, holding out the see-through box with a red rose.

"Oh, goodness, where do I pin it?" she asked, seeing as to how her dress was neckless.

They looked it over for a minute and decided to pin it on the wrap to keep it closed, but off the shoulder.

"Shall we, my lady?" Gary said, jutting out his elbow.

"We shall, good sir," she agreed and placed her hand in the crook. They journeyed to the Entrance Hall and soon enough spotted Harry and Daphne.

Harry's robes were a dark green with a light green trim, which brought out his eyes. Somehow he managed to tame his hair so it slicked back from his face.

" _I hate you,"_ Gary said through their link.

" _Not my fault you didn't ask before today,"_ Harry sent back as he escorted his date to meet his twin halfway.

Daphne's dress was a deep emerald green, with light green trimming. It fell mid-knee and flared from the waist. The bodice was tight and showed her ever growing curves. The open sleeveless robe she wore over it was silver to complement the dress. Her hair was fashioned in curls that hung down her back, but was pulled back from her face and held with a small silver butterfly hair clip.

"You guys look good," Gary said as they joined the pair.

"You don't look bad yourself," Daphne complimented. She was taking in Susan's dress with a quirk of her eyebrow. Susan just shrugged and wiggled her own brows in a suggestive manner, which made Gary perk up and Daphne to shake her head. Harry was too busy looking at his date to notice the byplay.

Just then McGonagall opened the doors to the Great Hall and announced that the students could enter. Both boys put their elbows out and gave a short bow. The girls placed their hands in the crooks and they all went into the dining area.

The usual twelve Christmas trees were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people. You could see from the windows an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of hundreds of actual living fairies, which were sitting in the conjured rosebushes, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Gary and Harry led their dates to a table in the middle of the room. They were soon joined by Terry and Mandy, along with Tracey and Spencer. Neville and Luna were at a table to their right with Dean and Ginny. Thanks to the upper years, and the visiting students, all of the third year Mutineers were attending the ball. Ellie Godfrey was Viktor's date, he decided that it would be easier to escort one of the twins' friends than to try and sort out the fangirls.

The doors opened again and the Champions filed through. Cedric was escorting his girlfriend Cho Chang, both decked out in Hufflepuff colors. Fleur looked as radiant as ever in robes of silver-gray satin, and was accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Roger Davies. Viktor and Ellie made a cute couple, even with the size difference. Ellie kept giggling as she looked at the stunned students.

Dinner was served by ordering off a menu, instead of the usual buffet style. All you had to do was look at the menu, place your hands next to your plate and say what you wanted. The children chatted as they ate, the Potter twins were a bit disappointed that Krum couldn't join them, but were happy to have Baan and his date, Astoria, at the table. They talked about the difference between their schools and generally just kept the conversation light. This was a day to relax.

Luna could be heard saying to stay away from the mistletoe as it was infested with Nargles. Neville just nodded in agreement, and steered clear.

When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.

The Weird Sisters trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause. They all had extreme hairdos and were dressed as non-magical punk rockers, Goth style, with black clothes that had been artfully ripped and torn. Each band member had heavy black makeup on their faces, emphasis on the eyes. As they picked up their instruments the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and the champions and their partners were standing up.

The couples looked lovely as they danced the first dance. Krum guided Ellie around the dance floor like they had been partnered for years. Roger Davies, on the other hand, had a glazed look in his eyes, and you could tell it was Fleur who was leading, though she did it gracefully. Cedric and Cho were also doing well and they both smiled at each other all through the dance.

Harry looked at the Staff Table and saw most of the staff was there dressed to the nines, well except Snape who had on his usual teaching robes, though his hair seemed cleaner. The only professor that wasn't there was Remus. He had volunteered to watch the map tonight so everyone could have a break, which made Harry a little sad that his godfather couldn't come. Even Professor Watts attended, somehow dressed in blue and bronze dress robes. Sally could be seen off to the side of the Hall, bobbing her head to the music. The school ghosts mingled with the crowd, telling of Christmases past.

The entire ball was going well; everyone was having a good time. The Weird Sisters soon upped the beat for the younger crowd. The dancing was going well, the samplers were refreshing after one came off the dance floor and the _cooling charm_ on the room was indeed will appreciated.

After dancing for an hour, Harry took Daphne to the cleared area outside the castle for a romantic walk. They were strolling down one of the paths, when they came upon Hagrid and Madame Maxime, who looked very cozy.

"We shouldn't disturb them," Daphne said as she tugged on Harry's sleeve. "Let's take a different path. Look, that one over there looks empty." She pointed to a brightly lit path, which had a Father Christmas statue at the end.

"Okay," the now messy-haired boy said, letting her guide him away. Just as they were turning down the other path, Madame Maxime started shouting at Hagrid.

Harry turned, but Daphne just pulled harder on his arm. "It's none of our business. Hagrid is a grown man. Leave it," she said firmly.

He sighed and nodded and ran his hand down her arm and grasped her small hand in his. They ventured away from the arguing couple and soon found a bench to rest on.

"Are you having a good evening?" Harry asked, turning to face his lovely date. Even after all that dancing she still looked beautiful.

Her face lit up with a brilliant smile. "I have never had such a wonderful night. Thanks to my devoted boyfriend," she said and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush, she always had a way of making him feel special.

"That's great," Harry stammered. Then he looked into her eyes and his face softened. "I'm having a great time as well." With that he leaned forward, gently placed his lips on hers. It was light and sweet, since he didn't want to get yelled at by Snape, who he could hear walking around and sending _stinging hexes_ in the bushes. Besides, this was not the venue for deep snogging. "Thank you for being such a wonderful person."

Daphne blushed and leaned her head against his shoulder. They sat for a while just enjoying the night.

 **Hphphp**

The ball finally concluded at midnight and all the gentlemen accompanied their dates to their dorms and then proceeded to their own rooms.

Gary ushered Susan to the barrels and just as they were about to arrive, she pulled him into an alcove. She then took his face in her hands and planted a firm kiss on his lips. "You are the best boyfriend ever," she said forcefully, "and if I hadn't promised my auntie I'd be good, well let's just say that there is a nearby broom closet that will stay empty tonight." After that stunning remark, she ran out of the alcove and entered her dorm.

Gary let out a whoop, and then proceeded to walk, in a daze —thinking about broom closets— to his common room.

"Oh, look at Gary," Lavender said to Parvati as he exited the portrait, "It looks like he was either smacked or very thoroughly snogged." She smirked smugly.

"With the way Susan was all decked out, I'm going with a kiss," the other girl said with a giggle. "I'm surprised you're back so early."

"It's none of your business," Gary said, snapping out of his stupor and sticking his tongue out at the two snickering girls. "Did you guys have a good night?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Schmitt was a perfect gentleman," Parvati stated, happy that she agreed to go with the older boy.

"Kurt danced with me all night," Lavender said with a dreamy smile. Her date was quite handsome and she hoped that they could continue to get to know one another, even if it was just friendship.

"That's great," Gary said with a huge yawn. "Well, I'm going to get out of these robes and go to bed." He waved to all his friends and proceeded to do just that.

It was a good night and relieved a lot of tension. Harry made sure to call Remus on the mirror to ensure himself that the man at least got dinner. His godfather reported that all was well and he did enjoy the wonderful meal that Hogwarts planned for the evening.

 _ **Meanwhile with the parents**_

A week before Christmas the Potters had called another meeting. This time they had good news, they were renting a yacht for the day and treating everyone to a day of relaxation. Lily mentioned a longer cruise, but it was decided that no one could take the time off for that amount of time. So they all agreed that when Voldemort was gone everyone, including the children, would take a week long cruise up the British coastline.

This night was for the adults. Sirius even managed to get a date with a French single mother, a Villette Courtois, whose daughter was at Hogwarts with the Beauxbatons' assembly. She was beautiful woman with long blonde hair and a pixie face. She was tall and willowy, with the grace of a dancer. She had come into the Hogsmeade Library to see what it was all about and struck up a conversation with Sirius, who was manning the crystal booth.

Instead of gathering at Potter Manor like they usually did, everyone decided to meet at the docks. It was a general consensus that they would be going semiformal. So only casual suits and party dresses. No one wanted to dress up; they all just wanted to relax.

The large crowd of parents, and Sirius and his date, converged on the small dock known as St Saviour's Dock on the south bank of the River Thames, 420 meters east of Tower Bridge and forms the eastern end of the picturesque and historic embankment that starts at Tower Bridge known as Shad Thames. The other side of the Dock is Jacob's Island. At the end of the dock was a small yacht, it was only one story high, with rooms to change if needed, and enough facilities to make sure everyone was taken care of. James hired a tour guide and a catering company.

At the aft end of the yacht, there was a group of small tables that fit six people. The railings were alight with bright blue Christmas lights, which gave the area soft lighting. The radio played classical carols and there was a dance floor set up on the other side of the deck. Lining the dance floor were poles of the same blue lights.

Dinner was buffet style, with tables set to the right side of the deck, which were filled with international dishes of; Thai turkey filo dippers, Clementine & vodka-baked salmon with beetroot crème fraîche sauce, Triple cheese & aubergine lasagna, British beef crostini, Smoked fish & potato latkes sharing a platter and many other delicious foods. The parents were ecstatic to be trying so many international foods.

James, Lily, Sirius, Villette, Wright and Wren all sat at the head table, after gathering their meals. "So, Villette, are you enjoying yourself?" James asked politely, after the dinner started dying down.

"Oui, et is good to be out on a dinner date. Zank you for inviting me," the blonde answered with a wistful smile as she turned her head to Sirius, who took up her hand and kissed the knuckles. "Et 'as been so long since I 'ave enjoyed myself. Et is not easy to be the only parent of a teenage girl."

"Do you mind if I ask what happened to Mr. Courtois?" Lily asked tentatively. "If it is not too personal," she quickly added to not seem overly eager for the answer.

"My 'usband was killed by Death Eaters, when 'e was visiting your Ministry," the woman replied sadly, taking up her napkin and dabbing her eyes. The men looked at Lily and sighed.

"I am so sorry," Lily said as she gently took the blonde's hand, feeling bad for bringing up such a sad memory.

"Et is fine. Et was a while ago, et still 'urts a bit, but now I am … getting over the pain," she said with a shaky smile as she put down the now smudged napkin. "My daughter, she is telling me 'Mama, you are to be dating again'. She is very… insistent that zis must be true," Villette said proudly.

"Well, all the better for me," Sirius said smugly with a handsome smile. "Come on, my beautiful date, let's dance." He stood and held out his hand to her. She took it and the two went and joined the other couples on the dance floor.

"I shouldn't have said anything. I have no idea why I asked that," Lily said. There was a little niggling feeling in the back of her mind that no one could be trusted. And she didn't know this woman, maybe she had been living on the edge for too long.

"No, you probably shouldn't have, but I do understand why you did. Come on, Lily-flower, let's join everyone and relax. You need to unwind," James said as he stood and took her by the elbow and led her to the dance floor. They swayed to the soft music; Lily laid her head on James' shoulder and just released all the tension and flowed with the music.

"I wonder how the ball it going?" she said in a whisper. Not wanting to break the moment.

"We taught the boys how to behave at such a function. I'm sure they're being perfect little gentlemen. Don't worry about the kids tonight; it's our night to enjoy." With that he moved a little more determined in his steps. He wanted it to be a night to remember. Lily laughed and followed along.

After about ten minutes of dancing, the yacht started to cruise the Thames. The guide was pointing out all the historical sites that could be seen from the river. Things like the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London and the Cutty Sark and many other attractions. Many of the parents enjoyed the tour and the open bar. Others decided that the dance floor was a better option. No one talked about the things they had been stressing over, and everyone had a wonderful time just cutting loose.

 _ **February 11, 1995**_

December gave way to January and the snow still fell. There were no big celebrations for the New Year, because everyone was on edge. January was left behind and February took over, making everyone more nervous at the upcoming holiday, and the fact that Tom and his minion had be silent this whole time.

It was Hogsmeade weekend and the Potter twins were determined to get their girlfriends something nice for Valentine's Day. Last year's gifts were sweet, but now that they were more mature, they needed to get something more meaningful.

It was a small group of Mutineer boys that were roaming the village.

"I have no idea what to get Susan," Gary confessed, looking around the shops to see if anything caught his eye. "Her aunt wasn't much help; she thinks anything I get her will be good enough."

"You got her that charm bracelet last year, right?" Terry asked as he too viewed the stores.

"Yeah, but I got her a new charm for her birthday, so that's out. Mum says I should get jewelry again, but she didn't say what kind," the youngest Potter said frustrated.

"Why don't you get her a nice emerald necklace to go with her coloring?" Harry suggested. He was going to get something similar for Daphne, only topaz. "And maybe matching earrings," he added thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure I want to get the same type to gift you're getting Daphne. It shows I have no imagination," Gary waved off his brother's advice.

"Yeah, I guess that make sense," his twin shrugged. The older they were the more they became their own person. Gary was far more outgoing then his quieter twin.

"How about something from the sports store, like the jersey from her favorite Quidditch team?" Spencer asked.

"Or even season tickets to her favorite football team," Wright added.

"Those are actually good suggestions," Gary said thoughtfully. Susan was a bit of a tomboy, if he played it right and got something cute along with them he could pull it off. "I'm going to go talk to Mum. I think she's at the Library today." He went to break off from the group when Harry grabbed his sleeve.

"Not by yourself," the older boy said firmly. "We still don't know where Crouch Jr. is."

"Oh, yeah," Gary said sheepishly, he had become complacent. Nobody had heard a thing from the Death Eater or Voldemort in months.

"Let's go to the jewelry store first, and then we'll go to the Library," Harry said, pulling his brother along.

So the group of boys went to the store and Harry got his gift for Daphne. Terry got a charm bracelet for Mandy, since they weren't quite as serious as the Potter twins and their girlfriends. The other boys were going to get something simple, like stuffed animals or flowers.

Harry and Gary were just leaving the shop, the other boys right behind them, when they heard a crack. As they spun around to where it came from, Harry was hit in the side with a stunning spell. Gary whirled around to try and see who attacked his brother. Just as he had lifted his hands to fire a cutting curse at the man in the shadows, he was also hit with a stunning spell.

The parents could be seen running down the street towards the boys; wands raised and ready to attack. They just spotted Crouch's name on the map, and came as soon as they could. They got within range and saw the other Mutineers attempt to fire spells at the kidnapper.

Crouch sneered at them as he batted them away, and disappeared with Gary using a port-key.

"Neville, what happened," Lily said, grabbing the boy by the arm and giving it a shake when she finally reached them.

"I'm not sure," the sandy-haired boy said in a bit of a daze. "We were coming out of the shop, talking about our girlfriends. Gary was distracted about what to get Susan, he was talking to Harry. The twins had just left the store, when we heard the sound of _Apparation_. The twins started to face whoever it was, but he got to them first."

Frank extracted his son from the upset mother. "Neville, are you hurt?" The Gryffindor just shook his head.

James woke Harry and asked him the same questions. Then he asked, "Harry, can you tell where your brother is?"

"Give me a minute," the older twin said as he shook the cobwebs from his head. He started calling down the bond. _"Gary, Gary, can you hear me?"_ He then shook his head at his parents.

"Keep trying," Lily demanded.

The older twin just nodded his head and did as she said. "Sally!" he yelled, making his male friends look at him weird.

"What do you need, Harry?" she asked as she materialized in front him with a serious look on her face.

"Can you tell me where Gary is?" he demanded, still desperately calling through the link.

"No, I told you the higher powers state this is all you guys. I am sorry, Harry, but remember I trained you for this." She put her hands in her back pockets, looking like a teenage girl with no worries in the world. She had confidence in her boys.

"Fat lot of good that did, we were taken out by stunners," he said in a rage, though mostly to at himself. He was so distracted by thoughts of rewards for a good present that he didn't pay attention. Damn puberty.

"Well, I can't really say much about that, but perhaps it was fated," the deity stated with a shrug.

"I have to find, Gary. If you can't help me, can you at least go to where he is and try to wake him?" the older twin asked, softening his face to show he wasn't mad at her, only himself.

"Sure," she said with a perky smile and disappeared.

"Harry," Dean asked, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder, "who were you talking to?"

"Let's just say it's a ghost you can't see," the boy answered, still calling his brother with his mind.

"Right," the other boy stated with a nod of his head and looked the adults, who were whipping out their mirrors and rallying the troops, making sure to call Amelia.

 _ **Later with Gary**_

Gary woke with a major headache, a smack on the cheek, and the worried voice of his brother in his head.

" _Gary, goddammit answer me!"_ Harry's voice screamed.

"Gary, wake up," came Sally's voice from his right as she continued to hit his face.

The teen groaned and opened his heavy eyes. " _Harry, what happened?"_ he complained in his head. "Sally, quit hitting me, and tell me where we are," he softly ordered his longtime friend.

"We're in Little Hangleton," she said like he should know where that was.

He nodded his head and tried to move, but his arms and feet were tied to what appeared to be a headstone.

" _We were ambushed. Where are you?"_ was the frantic reply from his brother.

" _I'm in some graveyard. Sally says it's a town called Little Hangleton."_ Gary looked closer to the headstones around him. _"All the grave markers say the last name Riddle. Crouch is here. He is setting up a cauldron and it looks like he is going to do some ritual,"_ he informed his brother. _"There's a baby-like body in front of the cauldron, I think it's Voldemort,"_ he finished.

"Sally, can you untie me?" he asked softly with his eyes darting around the graveyard, not wanting to attract attention from his kidnappers. The cemetery was old and there were many tombstones that were crumbling and falling apart. It was surrounded by woods and the shadows that were on the ground let Gary know that not much time had passed.

"Sorry, Gary, the higher powers say not to interfere anymore," she said with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Gary sorted through the two conversations, and when he got a clear picture of what happened, and was happening, he paid closer attention to the scene in front of him.

Crouch Jr. was limping about the area in front of him, which made him feel better that he hadn't gotten away unscathed. The vile man was adding things to a large boiling cauldron and the Dork baby was squirming at his feet, telling him to hurry.

The tided up boy could hear noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where he was tied. His necklace shook when the snake's head was near. _"There's a snake here, and it's making my necklace vibrate. It might be a new horcrux,"_ he sent to his twin, who cursed and passed that bit of information on to the adults.

Sally got his attention by stating the obvious, though he had to give her kudos for trying to be reassuring. It really wasn't in her nature. "Gary, your brother and parents will find you. After all it is Harry's destiny to face that… man," she said, waving at the homunculus. "I need you to try and get out of your ropes," she ordered, though she was internally cursing that she couldn't do more.

He took a deep breath and sent a wandless cutting curse to the ropes, but nothing happened. "Damn, I think he suppressed my magic or these are magic resistant."

"Okay. Don't panic whatever you do," she said, then looked at his face and realized he was very calm. "I think I know this ritual, it requires blood of the enemy. Remember what I told you guys a long time ago. Voldemort is not your enemy; he is a parasite that must be destroyed. As long as you keep that in mind, the ritual won't work."

" _Gary, Amelia knows where you are and we'll be there in few minutes. Mum and Dad are gathering as many adults as they can, as quickly as they can. Try and hold on,"_ Harry said, his emotions were so panicked that Gary wanted to send Sally back to him.

" _Okay, hurry though, my magic is not working."_

" _I'm going to get Dad to take me there now; maybe if I send some of my power to you, you can get loose."_ A few seconds, later he heard _, "Gary, me and Dad are outside the graveyard, but there are wards up. Amelia and the Aurors were already here. They were watching the house Riddle was in, so they got here quicker. We're working on getting in. I don't know how long it will take, but I'm going to push my magic through the bond. The wards might slow it down, so try and reach me,"_ Harry's voice rang in his head.

" _Okay, but I have suppression ropes binding me, so it might not work,"_ Gary replied. He felt down the bond and could feel the barrier preventing the transfer, mostly. _"Wait, can't you slip in as a grim?"_ he asked, thinking the shadow dog could bypass the ward.

" _Let me try,"_ Harry said. And then there was a sigh in Gary's head. _"Nope it's warded against Animagi. Try your form."_

So Gary tried to shift to a snidget, but the ropes prevented it. _"No go,"_ he reported _._

" _Shite, let me try the power boost, again"_ Harry stated _._

" _Okay,"_ Gary replied as he gazed at the man and thing in front of him. _'He is not my enemy…'_ was the thought running through his head. 

It was about that time that Barty noticed his captive was awake. He sneered at the helpless boy. All of his spying had paid off. Stupid Wormtail almost ruined everything when he got caught, but the Dark Lord never trusted that crazed man. It took months of re-planning after his failed attempt to get the boy in the tournament. His master was now pleased, and will reward him well when he was revived. Now, finally, the greatest Dark Lord of all time was going to be reborn and greater than ever.

' _Look at me,'_ he thought, _'Azkaban didn't make me into a zealot like it had Peter. My Lord is so proud.'_ He looked adoringly at the baby-like creature at his feet. _'I'll see him rise again.'_

Gary gave a full body shudder at the look on the man's face.

"Feeling helpless, little boy?" the demented man smirked as his tongue snaked through his lips. "Can't use your great power to get free? My Master is too smart for a weakling like you," he boasted as he walked towards Gary, who was glaring at him.

"Bartemius, continue with the preparations," came a soft voice from the homunculus. "I will deal with the Boy-Who-Lived in due time."

"Yes, Master," Crouch said and turned back to the cauldron, adding more ingredients.

The cauldron in front of the bound boy started to bubble, sparks flew in every direction. Crouch picked up the homunculus and gently lowered it in the potion. He then waved his wand and a bone flew from the grave Gary was tied to.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son." The escaped convict intoned firmly as he threw the bone into the large pot.

Sally whispered in Gary's ear, "Remember, not your enemy."

Gary nodded and kept the thought firmly in his head, all the while reaching for his twin. He could feel a trickle of power and once more tried to cut the ropes, but to no avail.

Junior placed his right arm over the cauldron, raised a knife to his hand and slicked off his index finger. "Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master," the barmy man cried joyfully.

" _How close are you? Crouch is almost done,"_ he practically yelled down the bond. _"I don't want to have to deal with this nutty bastard on my own."_

" _One more minute, we're almost there."_

Crouch then turned and made his way to the teen. He lifted the knife and placed it on Gary's arm. With a cruel smirk, he cut deep into the flesh of the teen's forearm. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." Placing a vial under the freely bleeding arm, he collected the blood.

Gary sagged in relief, his mind quit going in circles about the whole enemy thing, which is why he was surprised when it seemed that the ritual worked.

Taking the blood back to the cauldron, Crouch poured it in. More sparks came from the potion, a white mist soon filled the area and Gary couldn't see anything.

' _Stupid rituals, I guess Sally was wrong,'_ he thought. Just then he felt the barrier break and magic flooded through his system. He cast another cutting curse and this time his hand was freed. He quickly cut through the ropes on his other hand and then unbound his feet. As the mist was beginning to clear, turned into the snidget and flew to a tree, sending a message to his brother letting him know where he was.

He saw familiar figures moving among the trees, and flew towards them. He had just transformed into his human form when a large snake appeared in front of him. Without even stopping, he raised his hand and severed its head without a word. There was black smoke and wailing coming from the dead body, and Gary gave a huge sigh in relief, and continued his way. He met up with his father and said quietly, "I killed the snake."

James just nodded and jerked his head to the back of the woods. The younger Potter looked and saw a very worried Harry, so he quietly made his way to his twin. Lily was also there; she healed his arm and then grabbed both boys. Just as she was about to take them away, Sally popped up and shook her head.

"If you want to end it now, they have to stay," she informed the overly-protective mother.

"No," the distraught woman whispered. She and James had done everything to keep her boys away from the fight. It went against everything they believed in to keep the twins here.

"You must," insisted Sally, who was standing with her hands on her hips and glaring at the practically crying woman. "There is still the prophecy in play. No matter how much you shelter them, Harry has to face Voldemort."

"Mum, I have to," the older twin said as he put a hand on his mother's arm. "This is what you guys have been training us for. If we're going to do it, it should be now, before he starts killing again."

Lily looked into her son's eyes and saw only a determined teen. The glint and the firming of the jaw let her know that he was going to fight. It was with great reluctance that she nodded her head. The three Potters turned and made their way back to James.

The senior Potter had been watching the resurrected Dork Lord search for his son. Now was the time to end this, while the monster was weak. He glanced around and saw the same conviction on the other parents' faces. No one wanted this… man to roam free again.

Lily and the twins joined him. He raised an inquiring eyebrow; Lily only shook her head sadly and mouthed, 'prophecy'. His shoulders sagged, and then after a second he nodded his head. The rest of their team spread out among the trees in a circle around the graveyard.

Voldemort was pressing his wand to the Dark Mark on Crouch's arm. The Death Eaters would be here soon. They could end this war before it even started. The snake-faced man was glancing around the woods. His red eyes could see the figures moving into position, but he wasn't concerned. They would never be able to kill him. His Death Eaters were formidable fighters. These pathetic wizards won't stand a chance against him or his men.

One by one, the cloaked and masked men appeared. They formed a circle around their master and waited with bated breath.

"I had a wonderful speech all prepared for you, my friends. However, it seems we have unwelcome company. I want you to find the Boy-Who-Lived and bring him before me, unharmed. Kill anyone else," the silky voice of the deformed man said.

"Now!" James bellowed, lifting his wand and sending curse after curse to the robed figures in the graveyard. The parents all raised their wands to do the same, not one stunning curse was sent by them; however, the Aurors were only trying to capture.

Caught by surprise five of the Death Eaters fell to harmful curses, the rest raised shields and started a barrage of counter attacks.

The Potters stood together, just outside the graves raining curses down on the ducks in the middle of the circle. It was fortunate that the Dark Lord spotted them at the same time they turned their wands to the bigger fish. Picking the closest twin, he trained his wand on Harry and sent a Killing Curse, and then sent the same to the brother. He wasn't going to take the chance that he was shooting at the wrong boy.

Harry and Gary wandlessly lifted their necklaces in the path of the deadly curses, and the last horcruxes were destroyed with pitiful wails and white smoke. As one the family lifted their arms and all four attacked the vile being with different curses.

Blood exploded everywhere, as Tom's wand arm fell to his feet. His intestines spilled from his belly. A large gash bloomed across his eyes, blinding him immediately. The last curse was Harry's, and just as the Dark Lord was yelling his defiance to the sky; his head fell from his body.

The power he knew not— was his family standing united.

 _ **Four Years Later**_

Harry Potter looked around for the last time at the room he had lived in most of his life. He was getting married tomorrow, to the lovely Daphne Greengrass. They would be leaving the next day to go on their honeymoon. When they returned, they were going to be opening a new inn in Diagon Alley, and hopefully, live a very quiet life.

As he glanced around his room, he reflected on the last few years. After the Dork Lord fell, Harry and Gary were whisked away as soon as the body hit the ground. Their job was done. Lily took them straight to the Hogsmeade Library into the arms of their girlfriends. Sally was there to let them know that Voldemort was finally on his way to his just reward. It took an hour to talk the girls down, but they did, then everyone was ushered back to the castle.

Lily informed them that they would be speaking to Dumbledore as soon as Amelia finished with the crime scene, most of the Death Eaters fled; well the ones who weren't injured or dead. Lucius Malfoy was among the injured, and since Madam Bones was there, this time he couldn't buy his way out of Azkaban.

Their mum told them that if the Headmaster tried to talk to them before the parents got there, to tell him to wait.

The Potter twins had made their way back to Hogwarts, and were met by a large crowd of concerned friends. The boys had been covered in dirt and blood so everyone was asking what happened; they only told them that it was finally over. The tension that had filled the air changed to one of relief and confusion. The boys told the Mutineers they would get the whole story that night.

Dumbledore, having been informed by Snape that his Dark Mark flared, did try and get the two tired teens to his office. They stood firm and said their parents would be there soon. And sure enough, just when the old man persisted, twenty adults filed into the hall. They all looked tattered and torn. But the relief that showed on their faces was enough to calm their children.

His Dad had told him what happened in the headmaster's office. James explained to Albus everything the Mutineers and their parents had done over the years. How they hunted the horcruxes, how they trained the boys. He smirked as he recounted the blatant disbelief on the old man's face. It took sharing the memories of their trials to finally put Dumbledore in his place. It did come out that he knew that Voldemort was going to try and get Gary in the tournament; however, he had nothing to do with the attempt. Harry smiled at the memory of Dumbledore stepping down as headmaster, citing that he had grown too old to run a school, if he missed what was going on right before his eyes. Never again were they bothered by that man.

After that confrontation James and Lily finally moved on with their lives. James stayed with the Wizengamot and Lily joined the Unspeakables as a researcher. All of the movements they put forward to keep the kids together were still in play. Wizards were still sending their kids to non-magical schools and vacations were taking place outside the wizarding world. The libraries and the crystals still thrived. The magic-null rooms were in every household, so the wizards now knew all about non-magicals, well most of them. Those that still stuck to not having a computer, looked like fools. Mirrors were update to more complex devices and almost every teen carried one.

His faced then turned sad as he remembered Sally saying her goodbyes. Now that her mission was over she couldn't stay, plus she had new charges to take care of. She had taken them to the Room of Requirements that night, and told them it was time for her to go. Needless to say the twins were upset; they had known this deity all their lives. After a tearful hour of thanks and goodbyes — Sally left. Though, all of her ghosts stayed and they would talk to her for the boys, but it wasn't the same.

Because there was no outside interference, Viktor Krum won the Tri-wizard Tournament. Harry was happy for his friend. He kept in touch with all the Durmstrang students he befriended.

Gary had married Susan right out of Hogwarts. The couple was expecting their first child soon. Harry was proud of his brother. Gary became an Auror; the fight with Voldemort cemented his career. Amelia Bones backed his choosing. The youngest Potter twin was still the heir to the Black family, because even though Sirius married Villette, they didn't have a son. Gary was going to split the fortune with Villette's daughter, Arleta; however, he would inherit the title.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the memories, Harry picked up the last thing to be packed. It was a photo album of all the Mutineers and their time together, going back from when they were in primary school. This of course started the memories again.

As he flipped through the pages, he glanced at one of the first photos. He shook his head at the picture of Ron, standing with his family. Ron lived at the Borrow and all the lessons they had taught him were wasted. It was sad that he would never amount to anything, his friendship with Seamus even faltered, when the Irish boy married and moved on, leaving Ron to survive via his mother.

There was a picture of the gang at Hogwarts, and peeking in the background was that girl… Hermione, if he remembered correctly. She was actually doing well in the Ministry, something about fighting for house elves rights. He mentally wished her luck and turned the pages until he got to the end. There was a photo of the whole gang. It was taken the day the Potter boys graduated. They had held a large party and every Mutineer and their parents celebrated with them.

Neville was standing next to Luna; the soft look in his eyes as he stared at the quirky girl was how he still looked at her now. They started dating just after the Yule Ball. Neville changed his career choice of Herbology to follow his girlfriend around the world looking for obscure animals.

Harry glanced at the other sets of twins in the photo. The Weasley twins, with the help of Sirius and Remus, opened their joke shop. It was a tremendous success. Molly never liked that her boys didn't go into the Ministry, but the twins didn't care. They were happy. Right now they were not seeing anyone, but talk was going around that they were flirting with two of the girls they played Quidditch with.

The Patil twins moved in with Lavender. Padma was training with Lily in the Unspeakables. Parvati and Lavender were under the apprenticeship of Trelawney. The batty woman was going to leave Hogwarts and wanted one of her two best students to take her place. Whichever one got the job would move to the school, and the other would open a fortune telling stand next to Pandora's Box in Hogsmeade.

Terry and Mandy tried dating, but it didn't work for them. Terry is now seeing one of the Beauxbatons' girls he met fourth year. Mandy was single and working in the Department of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts.

Hannah was coupled up with Michael, which shocked everyone. They had bought the Daily Prophet and brought the sales back up to what they were before Skeeter ruined the paper.

Skeeter was finally caught and fined for being an Animagus, which she tried to pin the Mutineers with to reduce her sentence, but they registered right after Tom's failed revival. Rita was so destitute that she left the magical world and started working for one of the tabloids in London.

Alice Mcfay, who had been one of the quieter Mutineers, was now sharing a flat with Sally Anne Perks. Both girls moved back to the non-magical world after leaving Hogwarts. They never truly felt they belonged to the magical one. They did keep in touch with the rest of the gang, but were happier where they were.

Spencer and Ginny are engaged to be married this winter. They both went into Quidditch and were doing well.

Tracey and Astoria were both apprenticed to Madam Malkin. The dressmaker was going to retire soon and the two girls wanted to take over the shop.

Everyone in the picture had moved on after the battle in the graveyard. The parents finally had relaxed their protective stances and let the teens be teens. Parties were held instead of meetings, and they all were still good friends. The Mutineers met at least once a month to catch up with everyone.

"Harry," a soft voice said behind him, "are you ready?"

Harry turned to his soon to be wife and nodded. He put the picture album in the only open box in the room and went to her side.

"Just finishing packing," he said as he left his childhood behind.

 **Hphphp**

 _ **And that's that. The rewrite was longer than I thought, because I went in with the intention of cutting useless stuff and wound up adding more. Oh, well, if you liked this one, I have over 20 others that could use some attention. Thanks for reading my story.**_


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